Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play California Girls on piano
Written by Brian Wilson & Mike Love
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1965
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn California Girls in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Ab – Eb – F7
How it goes
California Girls sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIAbbVIIEbIVF7V7- BbBb · D · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- FF · A · C
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Questions about California Girls
What chords are in California Girls?
The loop is Bb – Ab – Eb – F7 (I – bVII – IV – V7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is California Girls in?
Bb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in California Girls?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is California Girls 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.