Want to know even more about one of the world’s most famous folk tunes?
Do you want to know what makes its harmonies tick?
In this blog series we’re zoning in on ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’. It’s no ordinary folk tune, because it’s not for the voice and it doesn’t have words — it’s for the piano!
Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum was created to make the best of the piano’s black and white key patterns.
And in this post we’re going to find out why the harmonies between the black and white keys in this piece sounds so good!
Take a listen!
- You’ll hear a catchy rhythm.
- You’ll notice an unforgettable black-white key pattern (that’s why the penguin is our mascot).
- And perhaps you’ll even hear that the music dances between two formidable chords — best friends and sworn rivals: chord one (musicians write this as Roman numeral I) and chord five (written as Roman numeral V)!
- When you hear chord V (five), if your ears are very sharp, you’ll even be able to tell that it’s actually a chord V7 (five seven).
The piece above is called ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’. We break it down and introduce one pattern per blog post. Each post comes with tutorial videos and a free printable of the music!
This instalment of the series teaches the breakdown of the I – V7 – I chord progression throughout all its patterns. You might think of these two chords as Frenemies.
No matter which pattern you’re playing in Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum, you’ll have the I – V7 – I chord progression. It’s woven through the whole thing!
This blog post is hands-on. It presents keyboard harmony to students long before they are ready for chord progressions in written theory or harmony exercises.
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Note: for the purpose of explaining the theory of chords, we will first focus on chords I and V in the key of C. Later, once the concept has been covered, we’ll switch into the key of Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum: G-flat Major.
What is chord I?
Chord I: musicians say ‘chord one’ and write it as a Roman numeral I.
Chord I is built on the keynote, or the tonic note, of any given key.
If you are in the key of C and play a C chord (C-E-G), it is called ‘chord one’ because it is built on the first note of the C scale. It can also be called the ‘tonic chord’.
Every key of music has its own chord I. It is always built on that key’s first note.
What is chord V?
Chord V: musicians say ‘chord five’ and write it as a Roman numeral V. You never say the letter ‘V’ because it’s actually a number. You say ‘five’.
Chord V is built on the fifth note, or the dominant, of any given key.
If you are in the key of C and play a G chord (G-B-D), it is called ‘chord five’ because it is built on the fifth note of the C scale. It can also be called the ‘dominant chord’.
Every key of music has its own chord V. It is always built on that key’s fifth note.
What is chord V7?
Chord V7: musicians say ‘chord five-seven’ and write it as a Roman numeral V together with the number 7.
Chord V7 is built on the fifth note, or the dominant, just like the V chord above, but it also adds an extra skip or third above the regular chord.
The number 7 comes from the way we name the tones. The tones of the G chord are 1-3-5 (not of the C scale, but of the G chord, itself). So, when we stack another third on top, it’s the 7. The reason we never talk about the 1-3-5 is because they are a given. It’s assumed that if you have a root position chord, you have 1-3-5. So, the only tone worth mentioning is the 7 because it changes the impact of the chord.
The V7, ‘five seven’ or ‘dominant seven’, chord in the key of C is a G chord –G-B-D– plus F.
The semitone (half step)
Remember how we said that chords I and V are best friends and sworn rivals? Frenemies?
That’s because of one feature between the I and V chords which makes them quite competitive with one another: the semitone.
The strongest note-to-note melody line in music is from one note to the very next note, with nothing between. This is known as the semitone or half step.
On a piano, a semitone (half step) is when you play the following key combinations. Try them and listen for the pull:
- From a white key to the very next white key (no black keys between). B-C or E-F.
- From a white key to the very next black key, immediately up or down. C to D-flat. G to F-sharp.
- From a black key to the very next white key, immediately up or down. G-sharp to A. E-flat to D.
This ‘melody line’ is very strong. The semitone has a gravitational pull, like a magnet. It wants to go to the next note.
The reason chord V leads so nicely to chord I is because its own 3rd note leads to the key’s tonic with a semitone.
In the key of C, the V chord has G-B-D. The G chord’s B leads to the tonic, C, with a semitone. It is a strong, unavoidable progression in music. It wants to happen. When you hear it, you feel satisfied. It sounds complete. This is why V-I is often called a ‘Perfect’ cadence. It’s the cadence that has the most complete and final sound.
Two semitones are better than one
But what if you could make the V to I progression even stronger?
This is exactly what the V7 chord does.
There’s already a natural push and pull between the two chords V and I. This dynamic is only heightened when the V chord gets to work with its 7. The 7 levels-up the dominant chord and almost gives it a superpower.
Giving the V chord its 7 adds an extra semitone to the progression.
That’s because the 7 of the V7 chord wants to fall with a semitone to the key’s third note.
In the key of C, the V7 chord pulls to the I chord in two ways. As was already said, the B-to-C semitone pulls up. And with the added 7, there’s an added F-to-E semitone down. These two semitones make the pull between the I and V7 chords very strong.
It’s even stronger because they move in opposite directions to each other. One semitone pulls up and the other pulls down.
Let’s transfer this knowledge to Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum
In Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum, chord I uses all black keys. It is the F-sharp or G-flat chord. Pick the name you like best.
Chord V is built on the fifth key of the scale, C-sharp or D-flat. To be clear: if you’re in F-sharp, chord V will be C-sharp and if you’re in G-flat, this will be D-flat. Sharps stick with sharps and flats stick with flats.
This is how this chord V7 looks in its root form.
In Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum, the right hand notes come from the black keys of chord I and the white keys from chord V7.
In this key, the I – V7 – I chord progression looks very cool because it highlights the distinct pattern from black keys to white and back again.
The reason this folk piano piece sounds so cool is because of the semitones from white keys to black keys that outline the gravitational pull between chords I and V7. Remember, semitones create a very strong sound in music.
If you learn Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum and play it many times keeping in mind this I – V7 sound (tonic to dominant-seventh), you’ll never forget it.
This will help you identify cadences by ear and help you figure out other I – V7 – I cadences on the piano by finding where the semitones lead.
Want to learn more?
Here are all of the posts in the Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum tutorial series.
Learning and Playing ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’
Rote Piano ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’ / Shave and a Haircut [Teacher intro]
Rote Piano ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’: Learn the First Pattern 3 different ways [FREE printables]
Rote Piano ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’: Learn the Second Pattern 2 different ways [FREE printables]
Rote Piano ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’: Learn the Third Pattern 2 different ways [FREE printables]
‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’: Learn the Shave and a Haircut Ending 3 different ways [FREE printables]
Fun Intro to Keyboard Harmony
‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’ and the I – V – I chord progression [Current post]
I – V – I is the most common chord progression in music. This post shows how music is kept interesting with the pull between chord one (the tonic) and chord five (the dominant). Specifically, chord I and chord V7.
Unlocking creativity at the piano
‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’: Create your own Variation [Coming soon!]
Explore being creative with music. ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’ helps kids experience how easy it can be to branch out with a new variation.
As a follow-up to my series on Heart and Soul and I Love Coffee, I Love Tea, I wanted a series on this traditional rote gem, ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’.
‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’ is THRILLING to play! It’s a traditional masterpiece. I hope you and your students enjoy!
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Video of the Week
The Lopsided Opera – If you’ve ever heard a soprano sing an opera number, you’ll know how dramatic and showy it can be. Inspired by arias by Mozart and Rossini, this parody explores scales and scalar shapes in C major, all on the piano’s white keys, and has prominent I – V – I (and I – V7 – I) chord progressions. (Levels: US, Intermediate. AMEB, Level 3. ABRSM, 3. RCM, Level 4) Want this piece? Check out the The Lopsided Opera eSheet in my shop!
