Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Do It Again on piano
By Steely Dan
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- 1972
- Medium
Learn Do It Again in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Eb – Eb – F – Bb – Bb – F – Bb – Bb – Eb
Do It Again sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 10 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIEbIVEbIVFVBbIBbIFVBbIBbIEbIV- BbBb · D · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wake-and-run chords
One long chord, then three quick ones running into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: Eb – F – Bb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb
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Questions about Do It Again
What chords are in Do It Again?
The loop is Bb – Eb – Eb – F – Bb – Bb – F – Bb – Bb – Eb (I – IV – V – I – V – I – IV – I – IV – V) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Do It Again in?
Bb major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Do It Again?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Do It Again easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 10 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Do It Again?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.