Piano chords · Classical salon

How to play Dancing In The Street on piano

Written by Marvin Gaye, Ivy Hunter & others

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Dancing In The Street in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: F#m7 – C#m7 – E – C#m7 – E – C#m7 – E
How it goes
Dancing In The Street sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: F#m7 is F#, A, C# and E; C#m7 is C#, E, G# and B; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F#m7ii7C#m7vi7EIC#m7vi7EIC#m7vi7EI
- F#m7F# · A · C# · E
- C#m7C# · E · G# · B
- EE · G# · B
2
Left hand: Bouncing Alberti
How it goes
Low, high, middle, high on each beat: a bouncy, cheerful bass. Musicians call it alberti bass 1-8-5-8 (alberti bass), an easy pattern heard in 172 songs of the library.
Bouncing AlbertiAlberti bass · ClassicalLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Telegraph taps
How it goes
One note tapping like a telegraph, then slipping a step down. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Telegraph tapsTwo-note ostinato · BalladRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 130 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: A – B – E
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE
- AA · C# · E
- BB · D# · F#

What chords are in Dancing In The Street?

The loop is F#m7 – C#m7 – E – C#m7 – E – C#m7 – E (ii7 – vi7 – I – vi7 – I – vi7 – I) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.

What key is Dancing In The Street in?

E major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Dancing In The Street?

Bouncing Alberti: alberti bass 1-8-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Dancing In The Street easy to play on piano?

It is a medium one: learn the 7 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.

Can I hear the real melody of Dancing In The Street?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the bass riff 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.