Busy Doing Nothing Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Busy Doing Nothing in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: G7 – C – G7 – C
How it goes
Busy Doing Nothing 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
Left hand: Mozart murmur
How it goes
Low, high, middle, high, over and over: the Mozart murmur. Musicians call it alberti bass 1-5-3-5 (alberti bass), a medium pattern heard in 186 songs of the library.
Mozart murmurAlberti bass · ClassicalLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Bouncy bells
How it goes
A high bell note, then chords bouncing on every “and”. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Bouncy bellsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
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: 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

What chords are in Busy Doing Nothing?

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 Busy Doing Nothing in?

C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Busy Doing Nothing?

Mozart murmur: alberti bass 1-5-3-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Busy Doing Nothing 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.