Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Marrakesh Express on piano
- C major
- 4/4
- 135 BPM
- 1969
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Marrakesh Express in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – A7 – Bb7 – A7
How it goes
Marrakesh Express sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; A7 is A, C#, E and G; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiiiA7VI7Bb7bVII7A7VI7- EmE · G · B
- A7A · C# · E · G
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
How it goes
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Shy chords
How it goes
Waits out beat 1, then a chord on 2 and a little double on 3. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 135 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
- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about Marrakesh Express
What chords are in Marrakesh Express?
The loop is Em – A7 – Bb7 – A7 (iii – VI7 – bVII7 – VI7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Marrakesh Express in?
C major, at about 135 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Marrakesh Express?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Marrakesh Express easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.