El Condor Pasa (If I Could) Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn El Condor Pasa (If I Could) in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: G – Em – G – Em
How it goes
El Condor Pasa (If I Could) sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIEmviGIEmvi
- GG · B · D
- EmE · G · B
135 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Seesaw bass
How it goes
Low, higher, low, higher on every beat: a steady seesaw. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-1-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 481 songs of the library.
Seesaw bassRoot–fifth bass · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Wait-a-beat chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 114 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

What chords are in El Condor Pasa (If I Could)?

The loop is G – Em – G – Em (I – vi – I – vi) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.

What key is El Condor Pasa (If I Could) in?

G major, at about 114 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in El Condor Pasa (If I Could)?

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

Is El Condor Pasa (If I Could) 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.