Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play An American In Paris on piano
- F major
- 2/4
- 120 BPM
- 1929
- Tricky
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn An American In Paris in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – D7 – Gm – F
How it goes
An American In Paris sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; D7 is D, F#, A and C; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FID7VI7GmiiFI- FF · A · C
- D7D · F# · A · C
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Kangaroo leaps
How it goes
Bass, high chord, bass, high chord, fast: the hand leaps like a kangaroo. Musicians call it stride (2/4) (stride & boom-chick), a tricky pattern heard in 107 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Marching chords
How it goes
Two chords per bar, left-right, like a happy little march. 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: F – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FCF- CC · E · G
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Questions about An American In Paris
What chords are in An American In Paris?
The loop is F – D7 – Gm – F (I – VI7 – ii – I) in F major, and the song ends on F – C – F.
What key is An American In Paris in?
F major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/4.
What does the left hand play in An American In Paris?
Kangaroo leaps: stride (2/4), a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is An American In Paris easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.