Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play A Cockeyed Optimist on piano
Written by Richard Rodgers
- G major
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn A Cockeyed Optimist in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – G – Dm – G7
How it goes
A Cockeyed Optimist sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; G is G, B and D; Dm is D, F and A; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7V7GIDmvG7I7- D7D · F# · A · C
- GG · B · D
- DmD · F · A
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Giant steps
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, low and heavy, like a giant walking. Musicians call it lh chords (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
How it goes
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. 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: 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
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Questions about A Cockeyed Optimist
What chords are in A Cockeyed Optimist?
The loop is D7 – G – Dm – G7 (V7 – I – v – I7) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is A Cockeyed Optimist in?
G major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in A Cockeyed Optimist?
Giant steps: lh chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is A Cockeyed Optimist 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.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.