Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Do You Want To Dance? on piano
By Bobby Freeman
- C major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 1958
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Do You Want To Dance? in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – C – F
How it goes
Do You Want To Dance? sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVCIFIV- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Stair steps
How it goes
Three notes climb up the chord in the island rhythm. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 438 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 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
Ending: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
Play next
Questions about Do You Want To Dance?
What chords are in Do You Want To Dance??
The loop is C – F – C – F (I – IV – I – IV) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Do You Want To Dance? in?
C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Do You Want To Dance??
Stair steps: broken chord 1-3-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Do You Want To Dance? 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.