Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Bang the Drum All Day on piano
Written by Todd Rundgren
- D major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1983
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Bang the Drum All Day in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – C – D – C
How it goes
Bang the Drum All Day sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIVCbVIIDICbVII- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
How it goes
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
How it goes
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Bang the Drum All Day
What chords are in Bang the Drum All Day?
The loop is G – C – D – C (IV – bVII – I – bVII) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Bang the Drum All Day in?
D major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Bang the Drum All Day?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Bang the Drum All Day 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.