How to play Birdland on piano

Learn Birdland in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Am – G – C – G
How it goes
Birdland sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiiGICIVGI
- AmA · C · E
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
12 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Groovy roots
How it goes
Notes jump around the “ands”, giving the bass a funky bounce. Musicians call it root bass · syncopated 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 363 songs of the library.
Groovy rootsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Wait-a-beat chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 158 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 – C – G
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GCG

What chords are in Birdland?

The loop is Am – G – C – G (ii – I – IV – I) in G major, and the song ends on G – C – G.

What key is Birdland in?

G major, at about 158 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Birdland?

Groovy roots: root bass · syncopated 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Birdland 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.