Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Guadalajara on piano
Written by Pepe Guizar
- F major
- 6/8
- 99 BPM
- V7–I–V7–I loop
- 1937
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Guadalajara in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – F – C7 – F
How it goes
Guadalajara sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7V7FIC7V7FI- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Swelling 6/8
How it goes
Rises to the top and falls back in one rocking six-note wave. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Rowing-boat chords
How it goes
Six even chords per bar, rolling along like oars on water. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 99 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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
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Questions about Guadalajara
What chords are in Guadalajara?
The loop is C7 – F – C7 – F (V7 – I – V7 – I) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Guadalajara in?
F major, at about 99 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Guadalajara?
Swelling 6/8: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Guadalajara 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.