Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play Chug-A-Lug on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Chug-A-Lug in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: G – D7 – G – D7
Chug-A-Lug sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GID7V7GID7V7
- GG · B · D
- D7D · F# · A · C
222 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll rocker
The left hand rocks between two shapes, straight out of the 1950s. Musicians call it rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 262 songs of the library.
Rock’n’roll rockerBoogie & shuffle · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Pausing chords
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Pausing chordsBlock chords · ClassicalRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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: G – D7 – G
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GD7G

What chords are in Chug-A-Lug?

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

What key is Chug-A-Lug in?

G major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Chug-A-Lug?

Rock’n’roll rocker: rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

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