Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play How The Other Half Lives on piano
Artist unknown
- C major
- 2/2
- 100 BPM
- VI7–II7–V7–I loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn How The Other Half Lives in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A7 – D7 – G7 – C
How it goes
How The Other Half Lives sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A7 is A, C#, E and G; D7 is D, F#, A and C; G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
A7VI7D7II7G7V7CI- A7A · C# · E · G
- D7D · F# · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Boom-chick
How it goes
Bass, chord, bass, chord: the bounce of ragtime and country. Musicians call it boom-chick (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 762 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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 – F7 – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CF7C- F7F · A · C · Eb
Play next
Questions about How The Other Half Lives
What chords are in How The Other Half Lives?
The loop is A7 – D7 – G7 – C (VI7 – II7 – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – F7 – C.
What key is How The Other Half Lives in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in How The Other Half Lives?
Boom-chick: boom-chick, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is How The Other Half Lives 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.