Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Boo-Hoo on piano

By Count Basie

Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Marching giantRight hand Hopscotch bellsChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Boo-Hoo in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: G7 – C – G7 – C

    How it goes

    Boo-Hoo sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    G7V7CIG7V7CI
    • G7G · B · D · F
    • CC · E · G
    414 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Marching giant

    How it goes

    Thick three-note chords on every beat, rocking between two shapes. Musicians call it lh triads (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Hopscotch bells

    How it goes

    A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 160 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. 5

    Ending: D7 – G7 – C

    How it goes

    The last chords are II7 – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    D7G7C
    • D7D · F# · A · C

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Questions about Boo-Hoo

What chords are in Boo-Hoo?

The loop is G7 – C – G7 – C (V7 – I – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on D7 – G7 – C.

What key is Boo-Hoo in?

C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Boo-Hoo?

Marching giant: lh triads, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Boo-Hoo 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.