Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play Bad, Bad Leroy Brown on piano

Written by Jim Croce

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Bad, Bad Leroy Brown in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: A7 – A7 – B7 – C
How it goes
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A7 is A, C#, E and G; B7 is B, D#, F# and A; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
A7II7A7II7B7III7CIV
- A7A · C# · E · G
- B7B · D# · F# · A
- CC · E · G
782 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll rocker
How it goes
The left hand rocks between two shapes, straight out of the 1950s. Musicians call it rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 262 songs of the library.
Rock’n’roll rockerBoogie & shuffle · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Push chords
How it goes
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Push chordsSyncopated chords · RockRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 110 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: D – C – G
How it goes
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DCG
- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D

What chords are in Bad, Bad Leroy Brown?

The loop is A7 – A7 – B7 – C (II7 – III7 – IV – II7) in G major, and the song ends on D – C – G.

What key is Bad, Bad Leroy Brown in?

G major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Bad, Bad Leroy Brown?

Rock’n’roll rocker: rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Bad, Bad Leroy Brown 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.

Can I hear the real melody of Bad, Bad Leroy Brown?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the bass riff of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.