Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play Dexterity on piano

By Charlie Parker

  • Bb major
  • 4/4
  • 160 BPM
  • 1960
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Jazz walkThe right hand sings the tuneChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Dexterity in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: Cm – F7 – Fm – Bb7

    How it goes

    Dexterity sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    CmiiF7V7FmvBb7I7
    • CmC · Eb · G
    • F7F · A · C · Eb
    • FmF · Ab · C
    • Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
  2. 2

    Left hand: Jazz walk

    How it goes

    One note per beat, strolling like a jazz bassist. Musicians call it walking bass (walking bass), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.

  3. 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. 4

    Both hands at 160 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. 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
    • EbEb · G · Bb
    • FF · A · C
    • BbBb · D · F

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Questions about Dexterity

What chords are in Dexterity?

The loop is Cm – F7 – Fm – Bb7 (ii – V7 – v – I7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.

What key is Dexterity in?

Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Dexterity?

Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Dexterity 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.