Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Ain't That A Kick In The Head on piano
By Dean Martin
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1961
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Ain't That A Kick In The Head in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – F#dim – Fm – F#dim
How it goes
Ain't That A Kick In The Head sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; F#dim is F#, A and C; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIF#dimbiii°FmiiF#dimbiii°- EbEb · G · Bb
- F#dimF# · A · C
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
How it goes
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
How it goes
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Ain't That A Kick In The Head
What chords are in Ain't That A Kick In The Head?
The loop is Eb – F#dim – Fm – F#dim (I – biiio – ii – biiio) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Ain't That A Kick In The Head in?
Eb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Ain't That A Kick In The Head?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Ain't That A Kick In The Head 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.