An Ordinary Couple Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn An Ordinary Couple in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Db – Cm – Db – Cm
An Ordinary Couple sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIVCmiiiDbIVCmiii
- DbDb · F · Ab
- CmC · Eb · G
15 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Giant steps
A full chord on every beat, low and heavy, like a giant walking. Musicians call it lh chords (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Giant stepsLeft-hand chords · RockLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Steady chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 100 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: Ab – Eb7 – Ab
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbEb7Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db

What chords are in An Ordinary Couple?

The loop is Db – Cm – Db – Cm (IV – iii – IV – iii) in Ab major, and the song ends on Ab – Eb7 – Ab.

What key is An Ordinary Couple in?

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

What does the left hand play in An Ordinary Couple?

Giant steps: lh chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is An Ordinary Couple 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.