Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play The Rubberband Man on piano
Written by Thom Bell & Linda Creed
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1976
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Rubberband Man in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – F7 – Eb – Bb
How it goes
The Rubberband Man sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIF7I7EbbVIIBbIV- FF · A · C
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of 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 – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FCF- CC · E · G
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Questions about The Rubberband Man
What chords are in The Rubberband Man?
The loop is F – F7 – Eb – Bb (I – I7 – bVII – IV) in F major, and the song ends on F – C – F.
What key is The Rubberband Man in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Rubberband Man?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Rubberband Man 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.