Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Charlie Brown on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Charlie Brown in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Eb – Bb – Gm
Charlie Brown sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 3 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIVBbIGmvi
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- GmG · Bb · D
39 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Engine 8thsRoot bass rhythm · RockLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Bossa chords
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: soft Brazilian chords. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Bossa chordsSyncopated chords · Bossa novaRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 136 BPM
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
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb
- FF · A · C

What chords are in Charlie Brown?

The loop is Eb – Bb – Gm (IV – I – vi) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.

What key is Charlie Brown in?

Bb major, at about 136 beats a minute in 2/4.

What does the left hand play in Charlie Brown?

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

Is Charlie Brown easy to play on piano?

It is a medium one: learn the 3 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.

Can I hear the real melody of Charlie Brown?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.