Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Bossa beach

How to play This Magic Moment on piano

Written by Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman

Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Island seesawRight hand Bouncy-ball chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn This Magic Moment in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: Bb – Gm – Eb – F7

    How it goes

    This Magic Moment sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Gm is G, Bb and D; Eb is Eb, 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.

    BbIGmviEbIVF7V7
    • BbBb · D · F
    • GmG · Bb · D
    • EbEb · G · Bb
    • F7F · A · C · Eb
    34 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Island seesaw

    How it goes

    Low, high, low in the three-three-two island rhythm. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-1 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 723 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Bouncy-ball chords

    How it goes

    One chord, then chords bouncing on every “and”, like a ball. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 100 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. 5

    Ending: Eb – F – Bb

    How it goes

    The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    EbFBb
    • FF · A · C

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Questions about This Magic Moment

What chords are in This Magic Moment?

The loop is Bb – Gm – Eb – F7 (I – vi – IV – V7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.

What key is This Magic Moment in?

Bb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in This Magic Moment?

Island seesaw: root–fifth 1-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is This Magic Moment 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.