What a Wonderful World Piano: Jazz Arpeggios With Extensions and Slash Chords
To play What a Wonderful World with a jazzy piano sound, Jason Zac keeps a simple two-hand 6/8 arpeggio (low, middle, high, octave of the low note, then back down) and swaps the plain F major triads for seventh chords, add9 and add4 chords, sixth chords and slash chords.
Key points
- Keep one simple 6/8 arpeggio: low, middle, high, octave of the low note, then back down, with both hands playing the same pattern.
- Add9, add4, sixth and seventh chords colour plain triads and sound best when arpeggiated.
- Slash chords like Bb/F, Fmaj7/A and Db add9/Ab create smooth bass movement.
- Choose inversions that keep hand movement small so you can sing while playing.
This lesson from Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music teaches the whole of Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World in F major, A and B sections, as a flowing arpeggio accompaniment. It suits intermediate players who already know basic triads and want richer, jazzier voicings that are easy enough to play while singing.
Chord extensions on F
An extension or added note sits on top of a triad. Using F as the example:
- Add9 (add2): F G A C. Fm add9 is F G Ab C. An add b9 (Gb) gives a more Eastern colour.
- Add11 (add4): F A Bb C. Fm add11 is F Ab Bb C. Adding B instead (#11) gives a Lydian sound.
- Add #5: F A C C#.
- Sixths: F6 is F A C D. Fm add b6 is F Ab C Db, the eerie sound of the X-Files theme. Fm6 is F Ab C D.
- Sevenths: Fmaj7 (F A C E), F7 (F A C Eb), Fm(maj7) (F Ab C E), Fm7 (F Ab C Eb).
- Others: half-diminished F A♭ C♭ E♭ (Fm7b5), diminished seventh F Ab Cb Ebb (the Ebb sounds like D, a major sixth above the root), augmented seventh F A C# Eb, and F7sus4 F Bb C Eb.
These colours can sound dense when squashed together, but spread out as arpeggios they sound beautiful.
The 6/8 arpeggio pattern
Each chord is played as low note, middle note, high note, then the low note copied an octave up, and back down again. This gives a lazy, cycling 6/8 feel (you can also count it as 12/8, or 4/4 in triplets). The left and right hands play exactly the same pattern. Get this pattern going on simple chords first.
The A section
- I see trees of green, red roses too: Fmaj7, Am7 voiced G A C E for smooth movement, Bb/F (a Bb triad over F), then Fmaj7/A.
- I see them bloom, for me and you: G Bb C F (which Jason names Gm7sus4), then move one finger from G to A for F add4/A. Then A add4 (A C# D E) and Dm add9 (D E F A).
- And I think to myself: one chord, Db add9 over an Ab bass (Db Eb F Ab), taken from the bass of the original.
- What a wonderful: G Bb E F, a Gm7 with an added sixth and no fifth, chosen because it is colourful and easy to shift to.
- World: several chords on one syllable: Fmaj7/C, an A augmented colour over a C bass, Bbmaj7/D, then a broken Csus4 to C7 that leads back to F.
Verse 2 is almost identical. Only the last line changes: Fmaj7, Gm7, Gm7b5, Fmaj7/A.
The B section
- The colours of the rainbow: Gm7/F. So pretty in the sky: F6, then C F A Bb, which Jason labels an F sus4 over C.
- Are also on the faces: Gm7 in a higher position. Of people going by: the bar is split into two chords for tension, landing on Fmaj7/A.
- I see friends shaking hands, saying how do you do: Dm add b6 (D F A Bb), the same chords repeated.
- They're really saying: F6, F#dim7, Gm7 in root position. I love you: a broken C7, first starting from G, then from E, returning to the verse.
How to practise
Learn the arpeggio pattern alone, then two chords at a time, watching the inversions so your hands barely move. Aim to play without looking at the keys, so your attention can stay on the lyrics and your singing.
Questions about this lesson
What key is What a Wonderful World in this lesson?
The arrangement is in F major, starting on Fmaj7 for the line I see trees of green.
What is the arpeggio pattern for What a Wonderful World on piano?
Play low note, middle note, high note, then the low note an octave higher, and come back down, in a 6/8 feel. Both hands play the same pattern.
What is the difference between add9 and add2?
They name the same added note, the second or ninth of the scale. For F major this is G, giving F G A C.
Why use extended chords instead of triads?
The original song is mostly simple triads, and adding sevenths, ninths, sixths and slash basses makes the arpeggios sound richer and jazzier while staying easy to shift between.
Practise it
- Voicing RoomA hands-on lesson room for piano chord voicings.
- Chord TreesStart from a note and explore related chords, inversions and voicings.
- Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
- All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.
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