Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Django on piano
By John Lewis
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 86 BPM
- 1955
- Easy
Learn Django in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F7 – Bbm – F7 – Bbm
Django sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bbm is Bb, Db and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F7VI7BbmiiF7VI7Bbmii- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BbmBb · Db · F
- 2
Left hand: Dancing heartbeat
Notes dance around the beats, pushing ahead on the “ands”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 245 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Polka-hop chords
Chords only on the “ands” in a quick two-beat bar: the “pah” of a polka. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 86 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: Db – Eb – Ab
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
Play next
Questions about Django
What chords are in Django?
The loop is F7 – Bbm – F7 – Bbm (VI7 – ii – VI7 – ii) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Django in?
Ab major, at about 86 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Django?
Dancing heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Django 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.