Piano chords · Old-time stride

How to play Grim Grinning Ghosts (from Phantom Manor, Disneyland Resort Paris) on piano

By Buddy Baker

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Grim Grinning Ghosts (from Phantom Manor, Disneyland Resort Paris) in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Am – F7 – Am – F7
How it goes
Grim Grinning Ghosts (from Phantom Manor, Disneyland Resort Paris) sits in A minor: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiF7VI7AmiF7VI7
- AmA · C · E
- F7F · A · C · Eb
2
Left hand: Boom-chick
How it goes
Bass, chord, bass, chord: the bounce of ragtime and country. Musicians call it boom-chick (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 762 songs of the library.
Boom-chickStride & boom-chick · StrideLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Eager chords
How it goes
Jumps in early before beat 3, like the chords can’t wait. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Eager chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 100 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: F – G – Am
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGAm
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D

What chords are in Grim Grinning Ghosts (from Phantom Manor, Disneyland Resort Paris)?

The loop is Am – F7 – Am – F7 (i – bVI7 – i – bVI7) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.

What key is Grim Grinning Ghosts (from Phantom Manor, Disneyland Resort Paris) in?

A minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Grim Grinning Ghosts (from Phantom Manor, Disneyland Resort Paris)?

Boom-chick: boom-chick, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Grim Grinning Ghosts (from Phantom Manor, Disneyland Resort Paris) 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.