Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play El Perdón on piano
Written by Juan Medina Vélez, Cristhian Camilo Mena Moreno & others
- Ab major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- vi–IV–I–V loop
- 2017
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn El Perdón in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Db – Ab – Eb
How it goes
El Perdón sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Db is Db, F and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmviDbIVAbIEbV- FmF · Ab · C
- DbDb · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Oom-pah
How it goes
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Slipping taps
How it goes
A chord, a few taps on the top note, then a slip one step down. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb
Play next
Questions about El Perdón
What chords are in El Perdón?
The loop is Fm – Db – Ab – Eb (vi – IV – I – V) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is El Perdón in?
Ab major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in El Perdón?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is El Perdón 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.