Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Hail To The Chief (arr. Phillip Keveren) on piano

By James Sanderson

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Hail To The Chief (arr. Phillip Keveren) in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: G7 – C – G7 – C
How it goes
Hail To The Chief (arr. Phillip Keveren) sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G7V7CIG7V7CI
- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
414 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Giant steps
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, low and heavy, like a giant walking. Musicians call it lh chords (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Giant stepsLeft-hand chords · RockLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Late-knock chords
How it goes
One chord, a long wait, then a quick knock-knock at the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Late-knock chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
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: C – G7 – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CG7C