Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play A Guy What Takes His Time on piano
Written by Ralph Rainger
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 98 BPM
- 1932
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn A Guy What Takes His Time in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb7 – F7 – Bdim – F7
How it goes
A Guy What Takes His Time sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bdim is B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bb7I7F7V7Bdimbii°F7V7- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BdimB · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll rocker
How it goes
The left hand rocks between two shapes, straight out of the 1950s. Musicians call it rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 262 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 98 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about A Guy What Takes His Time
What chords are in A Guy What Takes His Time?
The loop is Bb7 – F7 – Bdim – F7 (I7 – V7 – biio – V7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is A Guy What Takes His Time in?
Bb major, at about 98 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in A Guy What Takes His Time?
Rock’n’roll rocker: rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is A Guy What Takes His Time 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.