Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Harlem’s Nocturne on piano
Written by Alicia Keys
- G minor
- 6/8
- 100 BPM
- 2003
- Medium
Learn Harlem’s Nocturne in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cb – Gm – D7 – Cm
Harlem’s Nocturne sits in G minor: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cb is Cb, Eb and Gb; Gm is G, Bb and D; D7 is D, F#, A and C; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CbIIIGmiD7V7Cmiv- CbCb · Eb · Gb
- GmG · Bb · D
- D7D · F# · A · C
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Jazz walk
One note per beat, strolling like a jazz bassist. Musicians call it walking bass (walking bass), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Eb – F – Gm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFGm- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Harlem’s Nocturne
What chords are in Harlem’s Nocturne?
The loop is Cb – Gm – D7 – Cm (III – i – V7 – iv) in G minor, and the song ends on Eb – F – Gm.
What key is Harlem’s Nocturne in?
G minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Harlem’s Nocturne?
Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Harlem’s Nocturne 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.