Piano chords · Old-time stride
Ain’t Misbehavin’: piano accompaniment sheet music
- D major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1929
- Easy
Ain’t Misbehavin’ written out as piano music: the I – V7 – I7 – IV – iv loop in D major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays stride jumps (stride) and the right hand steady chords.
Ain’t Misbehavin’ chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in D major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | I | D F# A |
| 2 | A7 | V7 | A C# E G |
| 3 | D7 | I7 | D F# A C |
| 4 | G | IV | G B D |
| 4 | Gm | iv | G Bb D |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: stride jumps (stride) in the left hand and steady chords in the right, over the D – A7 – D7 – G – Gm chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
To see the real melody written out, play “The part you know”: the sheet music changes to it.
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Questions about Ain’t Misbehavin’
Does the sheet music for Ain’t Misbehavin’ have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
What chords are in Ain’t Misbehavin’?
The loop is D – A7 – D7 – G – Gm (I – V7 – I7 – IV – iv) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Ain’t Misbehavin’ in?
D major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Ain’t Misbehavin’?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Ain’t Misbehavin’ easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Ain’t Misbehavin’?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 7 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.