Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Pretzel Logic on piano
Written by Walter Becker & Donald Fagen
- A minor
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1974
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Pretzel Logic in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – E – C – D
How it goes
Pretzel Logic sits in A minor: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; E is E, G# and B; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIVEVCIIIDIV- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Hammering bass
How it goes
The same note hammered on every quick beat, dipping only at the end. Musicians call it broken chord 8-8 (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 280 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 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
Ending: F – G – Am
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGAm- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
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Questions about Pretzel Logic
What chords are in Pretzel Logic?
The loop is D – E – C – D (IV – V – bIII – IV) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.
What key is Pretzel Logic in?
A minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Pretzel Logic?
Hammering bass: broken chord 8-8, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Pretzel Logic 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.