Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s
How to play Doin’ It To Death on piano
Written by James Brown
- F major
- 12/8
- 160 BPM
- 1973
- Easy
Learn Doin’ It To Death in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F7 – Gb7 – F7 – Gb7
Doin’ It To Death sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Gb7 is Gb, Bb, Db and Fb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F7I7Gb7bII7F7I7Gb7bII7- F7F · A · C · Eb
- Gb7Gb · Bb · Db · Fb
- 2
Left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat
Four slow, deep beats under a swaying fifties ballad. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 134 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Doin’ It To Death
What chords are in Doin’ It To Death?
The loop is F7 – Gb7 – F7 – Gb7 (I7 – bII7 – I7 – bII7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Doin’ It To Death in?
F major, at about 160 beats a minute in 12/8.
What does the left hand play in Doin’ It To Death?
Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Doin’ It To Death 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.