Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Be-Bop-A-Lula on piano
Written by Tex Davis & Gene Vincent
- C major
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- 1956
- Medium
Learn Be-Bop-A-Lula in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Am7 – C7 – C – G7 – G
Be-Bop-A-Lula sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: C is C, E and G; Am7 is A, C, E and G; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; G7 is G, B, D and F; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIAm7vi7C7I7CIG7V7GV- CC · E · G
- Am7A · C · E · G
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- G7G · B · D · F
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll climb
Up three chord notes and one step past: the 1950s rock’n’roll climb. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-6 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 204 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 92 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
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Questions about Be-Bop-A-Lula
What chords are in Be-Bop-A-Lula?
The loop is C – Am7 – C7 – C – G7 – G (I – vi7 – I7 – I – V7 – V) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Be-Bop-A-Lula in?
C major, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Be-Bop-A-Lula?
Rock’n’roll climb: broken chord 1-3-5-6, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Be-Bop-A-Lula easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 6 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Be-Bop-A-Lula?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune 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.