Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Easter Parade on piano
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1933
- Easy
Learn Easter Parade in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – F7 – Bb7 – Eb – Eb – Cm7 – C#dim
Easter Parade sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; C#dim is C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIF7V7Bb7I7EbIVEbIVCm7ii7C#dimbiii°- BbBb · D · F
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- C#dimC# · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Cm – F7 – Bb
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CmF7Bb- CmC · Eb · G
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Questions about Easter Parade
What chords are in Easter Parade?
The loop is Bb – F7 – Bb7 – Eb – Eb – Cm7 – C#dim (I – V7 – I7 – IV – ii7 – biii° – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Cm – F7 – Bb.
What key is Easter Parade in?
Bb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Easter Parade?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Easter Parade easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 7 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Easter Parade?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro 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.