Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play El Cumbanchero on piano
Artist unknown
- Eb major
- 2/2
- 140 BPM
- vi–V–IV–vi loop
- Easy
Learn El Cumbanchero in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Bb – Ab – Cm
El Cumbanchero sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Bb is Bb, D and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmviBbVAbIVCmvi- CmC · Eb · G
- BbBb · D · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Three-step climb
Root, fifth, octave, then let it ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (broken chord), 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 140 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 – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- EbEb · G · Bb
Play next
Questions about El Cumbanchero
What chords are in El Cumbanchero?
The loop is Cm – Bb – Ab – Cm (vi – V – IV – vi) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is El Cumbanchero in?
Eb major, at about 140 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in El Cumbanchero?
Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is El Cumbanchero 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.