Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Oye Como Va on piano
By Santana
- G major
- 4/4
- 125 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Oye Como Va in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – Am – D7 – Am
How it goes
Oye Como Va sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7V7AmiiD7V7Amii- D7D · F# · A · C
- AmA · C · E
- 2
Left hand: Jazz walk
How it goes
One note per beat, strolling like a jazz bassist. Musicians call it walking bass (walking bass), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 125 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Oye Como Va
What chords are in Oye Como Va?
The loop is D7 – Am – D7 – Am (V7 – ii – V7 – ii) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Oye Como Va in?
G major, at about 125 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Oye Como Va?
Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Oye Como Va 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.