Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Brother Louie on piano
Written by Errol Brown & Anthony Wilson
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- vi–ii–vi–ii loop
- 1973
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Brother Louie in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – Dm – Am – Dm
How it goes
Brother Louie sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmviDmiiAmviDmii- AmA · C · E
- DmD · F · A
- 2
Left hand: Hurrying footsteps
How it goes
Calm steps in the first half, then twice as fast to the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 642 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
How it goes
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about Brother Louie
What chords are in Brother Louie?
The loop is Am – Dm – Am – Dm (vi – ii – vi – ii) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Brother Louie in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Brother Louie?
Hurrying footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Brother Louie 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.