Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s
How to play Ball And Chain on piano
By Janis Joplin
- D major
- 12/8
- 90 BPM
- IV7–I7–V7–IV7 loop
- 1968
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Ball And Chain in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G7 – D7 – A7 – G7
How it goes
Ball And Chain sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; D7 is D, F#, A and C; A7 is A, C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G7IV7D7I7A7V7G7IV7- G7G · B · D · F
- D7D · F# · A · C
- A7A · C# · E · G
- 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 90 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: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about Ball And Chain
What chords are in Ball And Chain?
The loop is G7 – D7 – A7 – G7 (IV7 – I7 – V7 – IV7) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Ball And Chain in?
D major, at about 90 beats a minute in 12/8.
What does the left hand play in Ball And Chain?
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 Ball And Chain 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.