Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play Hard Work on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Hard Work in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: C – Am – F – G
How it goes
Hard Work 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; F is F, A and C; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIAmviFIVGV
- CC · E · G
- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
95 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Seesaw bass
How it goes
Low, higher, low, higher on every beat: a steady seesaw. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-1-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 481 songs of the library.
Seesaw bassRoot–fifth bass · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
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 70 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 – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC

What chords are in Hard Work?

The loop is C – Am – F – G (I – vi – IV – V) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Hard Work in?

C major, at about 70 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Hard Work?

Seesaw bass: root–fifth 1-5-1-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Hard Work 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.