Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Honkytonk U on piano
By Toby Keith
- C major
- 4/4
- 116 BPM
- 2005
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Honkytonk U in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – C – G – D
How it goes
Honkytonk U sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIICIGVDII- DD · F# · A
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- 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.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
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 116 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 – F – C
How it goes
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbFC- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Honkytonk U
What chords are in Honkytonk U?
The loop is D – C – G – D (II5 – I – V – II5) in C major, and the song ends on Bb – F – C.
What key is Honkytonk U in?
C major, at about 116 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Honkytonk U?
Seesaw bass: root–fifth 1-5-1-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Honkytonk U 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.