Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Hit That Jive Jack on piano
Written by John Alston & Cambell Skeets Tolbert
- G major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- 1941
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Hit That Jive Jack in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – G7 – C7 – C#dim
How it goes
Hit That Jive Jack sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; G7 is G, B, D and F; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; C#dim is C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7V7G7I7C7IV7C#dim#iv°- D7D · F# · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- C#dimC# · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Jazz walk
How it goes
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: Push chords
How it goes
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 140 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 – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Hit That Jive Jack
What chords are in Hit That Jive Jack?
The loop is D7 – G7 – C7 – C#dim (V7 – I7 – IV7 – #ivo) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Hit That Jive Jack in?
G major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Hit That Jive Jack?
Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hit That Jive Jack 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.