Avondale Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Avondale in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: F – Dm – Bb – F
How it goes
Avondale sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Dm is D, F and A; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIDmviBbIVFI
- FF · A · C
- DmD · F · A
- BbBb · D · F
121 songs go round the same chords
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.
Boogie walkerBoogie & shuffle · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
4
Both hands at 100 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 – Bb – F
How it goes
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CBbF
- CC · E · G

What chords are in Avondale?

The loop is F – Dm – Bb – F (I – vi – IV – I) in F major, and the song ends on C – Bb – F.

What key is Avondale in?

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

What does the left hand play in Avondale?

Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Avondale 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.