Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Fortunate Fool on piano
By Jack Johnson
- C major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- I–vi–I–vi loop
- 2000
- Medium
Learn Fortunate Fool in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Am – C – Am
Fortunate Fool sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIAmviCIAmvi- CC · E · G
- AmA · C · E
- 2
Left hand: Double-skip footsteps
Steady steps with two quick skips, one mid-bar and one at the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 397 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
Play next
Questions about Fortunate Fool
What chords are in Fortunate Fool?
The loop is C – Am – C – Am (I – vi – I – vi) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Fortunate Fool in?
C major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Fortunate Fool?
Double-skip footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Fortunate Fool 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.