Duke's Place Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Duke's Place in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: C7 – F7 – C7 – F7
How it goes
Duke's Place sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7I7F7IV7C7I7F7IV7
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
43 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Boogie walker
How it goes
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.
Boogie walkerBoogie & shuffle · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Lub-dub chords
How it goes
Two quick chords, a pause, two quick chords: just like a heartbeat. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Lub-dub chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 155 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 – G7 – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FG7C
- FF · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G

What chords are in Duke's Place?

The loop is C7 – F7 – C7 – F7 (I7 – IV7 – I7 – IV7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G7 – C.

What key is Duke's Place in?

C major, at about 155 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Duke's Place?

Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Duke's Place 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.