Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Ain't It The Truth on piano
By Alan Menken
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 132 BPM
- 2016
- Medium
Learn Ain't It The Truth in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab7 – Ebm – Ab7 – Ebm
Ain't It The Truth sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb; Ebm is Eb, Gb and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Ab7I7EbmvAb7I7Ebmv- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- EbmEb · Gb · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Boom-chick
Bass, chord, bass, chord: the bounce of ragtime and country. Musicians call it boom-chick (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 762 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 132 BPM
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: Db – Eb – Ab
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
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Questions about Ain't It The Truth
What chords are in Ain't It The Truth?
The loop is Ab7 – Ebm – Ab7 – Ebm (I7 – v – I7 – v) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Ain't It The Truth in?
Ab major, at about 132 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Ain't It The Truth?
Boom-chick: boom-chick, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Ain't It The Truth 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.