Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Hot Child In The City on piano
By Nick Gilder
- E major
- 4/4
- 111 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 1978
- Medium
Learn Hot Child In The City in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – A – E – A
Hot Child In The City sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIAIVEIAIV- EE · G# · B
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 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 111 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: E – F#m – E
The last chords are I – ii – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EF#mE- F#mF# · A · C#
Play next
Questions about Hot Child In The City
What chords are in Hot Child In The City?
The loop is E – A – E – A (I – IV – I – IV) in E major, and the song ends on E – F#m – E.
What key is Hot Child In The City in?
E major, at about 111 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Hot Child In The City?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hot Child In The City 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.