Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s
How to play Baby Grand on piano
Written by Billy Joel
- F major
- 12/8
- 100 BPM
- 1986
- Easy
Learn Baby Grand in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – C – D7 – Gm
Baby Grand sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; C is C, E and G; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7VI7CVD7VI7Gmii- D7D · F# · A · C
- CC · E · G
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Rocking chair
Low, high, low, high, slow and swaying, like a rocking chair. Musicians call it rocking octaves (12/8) (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in 29 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
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
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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Baby Grand
What chords are in Baby Grand?
The loop is D7 – C – D7 – Gm (VI7 – V – VI7 – ii) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Baby Grand in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 12/8.
What does the left hand play in Baby Grand?
Rocking chair: rocking octaves (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Baby Grand 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.