Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Ebony And Ivory on piano
By Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
- F major
- 5/4
- 132 BPM
- 1982
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Ebony And Ivory in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – Gm7 – F – Gm7
How it goes
Ebony And Ivory sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Gm7 is G, Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIGm7ii7FIGm7ii7- FF · A · C
- Gm7G · Bb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
How it goes
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 132 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: Gm – Bb – F
How it goes
The last chords are ii – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GmBbF- GmG · Bb · D
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Ebony And Ivory
What chords are in Ebony And Ivory?
The loop is F – Gm7 – F – Gm7 (I – ii7 – I – ii7) in F major, and the song ends on Gm – Bb – F.
What key is Ebony And Ivory in?
F major, at about 132 beats a minute in 5/4.
What does the left hand play in Ebony And Ivory?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Ebony And Ivory 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Ebony And Ivory?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune 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.