Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s
How to play Are You Sincere on piano
- C major
- 12/8
- 102 BPM
- I–ii–V7–I loop
- 1957
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Are You Sincere in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Dm – G7 – C
How it goes
Are You Sincere sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Dm is D, F and A; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIDmiiG7V7CI- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat
How it goes
Four slow, deep beats under a swaying fifties ballad. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 134 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Doo-wop chords
How it goes
Three soft chords on every slow beat: the classic 1950s ballad sound. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 102 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: C – F – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CFC- FF · A · C
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Questions about Are You Sincere
What chords are in Are You Sincere?
The loop is C – Dm – G7 – C (I – ii – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – F – C.
What key is Are You Sincere in?
C major, at about 102 beats a minute in 12/8.
What does the left hand play in Are You Sincere?
Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Are You Sincere 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.