Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Cotton Eye Joe on piano
By Rednex
- A major
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- I–IV–V–IV loop
- 1994
- Medium
Learn Cotton Eye Joe in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – D – E – D
Cotton Eye Joe sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIDIVEVDIV- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Hurrying footsteps
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: Sprint-and-stop chords
Four quick chords in the first half, then a calm, empty second half. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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: D – E – A
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA
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Questions about Cotton Eye Joe
What chords are in Cotton Eye Joe?
The loop is A – D – E – D (I – IV – V – IV) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Cotton Eye Joe in?
A major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Cotton Eye Joe?
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 Cotton Eye Joe 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.