See You Later, Alligator Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn See You Later, Alligator in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: C – C7 – F7 – C
How it goes
See You Later, Alligator sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIC7I7F7IV7CI
- CC · E · G
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
17 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll climb
How it goes
Up three chord notes and one step past: the 1950s rock’n’roll climb. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-6 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 204 songs of the library.
Rock’n’roll climbBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
4
Both hands at 120 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
5
Ending: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D

What chords are in See You Later, Alligator?

The loop is C – C7 – F7 – C (I – I7 – IV7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is See You Later, Alligator in?

C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in See You Later, Alligator?

Rock’n’roll climb: broken chord 1-3-5-6, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is See You Later, Alligator easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.