Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play 77 Sunset Strip on piano
Written by Mack David & Jerry Livingston
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1959
- Tricky
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn 77 Sunset Strip in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – Gm – C7 – Gm
How it goes
77 Sunset Strip sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7I7GmvC7I7Gmv- C7C · E · G · Bb
- GmG · Bb · D
- 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: Trotting-sleigh chords
How it goes
Three quick chords on every beat: a rolling, joyful gallop. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 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: C – Dm – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – ii – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDmC- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
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Questions about 77 Sunset Strip
What chords are in 77 Sunset Strip?
The loop is C7 – Gm – C7 – Gm (I7 – v – I7 – v) in C major, and the song ends on C – Dm – C.
What key is 77 Sunset Strip in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in 77 Sunset Strip?
Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is 77 Sunset Strip easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.