Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Susie-Q on piano

Artist unknown

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Susie-Q in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: C – Eb – Ab7 – Eb
How it goes
Susie-Q sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CVIEbIAb7IV7EbI
- CC · E · G
- EbEb · G · Bb
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Sleep-in chords
How it goes
Quiet for half the bar, then three chords wake up near the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Sleep-in chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 140 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F

What chords are in Susie-Q?

The loop is C – Eb – Ab7 – Eb (VI – I – IV7 – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.

What key is Susie-Q in?

Eb major, at about 140 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Susie-Q?

Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Susie-Q 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.

Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.