Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s

How to play A Secretary Is Not A Toy on piano

By Frank Loesser

Tuning the piano…
Learn it
Learn it
Style

Left hand Slow-dance heartbeatRight hand Slow-dance chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn A Secretary Is Not A Toy in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

  1. 1

    Chords: Bb – F – F7 – Bb

    How it goes

    A Secretary Is Not A Toy sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    BbIVFIF7I7BbIV
    • BbBb · D · F
    • FF · A · C
    • F7F · A · C · Eb
    14 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat

    How it goes

    Four slow, deep beats under a swaying fifties ballad. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 134 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Slow-dance chords

    How it goes

    Four slow chords per bar under a swaying fifties ballad. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 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. 5

    Ending: Bb – C – F

    How it goes

    The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    BbCF
    • CC · E · G

Play next

Questions about A Secretary Is Not A Toy

What chords are in A Secretary Is Not A Toy?

The loop is Bb – F – F7 – Bb (IV – I – I7 – IV) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.

What key is A Secretary Is Not A Toy in?

F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 3/4.

What does the left hand play in A Secretary Is Not A Toy?

Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is A Secretary Is Not A Toy 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.