Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Dust on piano
By Gene Autry
- C minor
- 2/2
- 80 BPM
- 1937
- Easy
Learn Dust in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Bdim – Cm – Bdim
Dust sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Bdim is B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiBdimvii°CmiBdimvii°- CmC · Eb · G
- BdimB · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Ping-pong bounce
High, low, high, low on every beat: a ping-pong bounce. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 302 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: Ab – Bb – Cm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Dust
What chords are in Dust?
The loop is Cm – Bdim – Cm – Bdim (i – viio – i – viio) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is Dust in?
C minor, at about 80 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Dust?
Ping-pong bounce: broken chord 8-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Dust 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.