Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Bad Girls on piano
Artist unknown
- D minor
- 4/4
- 110 BPM
- Easy
Learn Bad Girls in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – Am – Gm – Am
Bad Girls sits in D minor: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; Am is A, C and E; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiAmvGmivAmv- DmD · F · A
- AmA · C · E
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Oom-pah
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Catch-up chords
Two chords, a late one after beat 3, then a dash to catch up. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 110 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 – Dm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCDm- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
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Questions about Bad Girls
What chords are in Bad Girls?
The loop is Dm – Am – Gm – Am (i – v – iv – v) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.
What key is Bad Girls in?
D minor, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Bad Girls?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Bad Girls 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.