Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play I Ain’t Got Nobody on piano
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- G major
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- V7–I–V7–I loop
- Medium
Learn I Ain’t Got Nobody in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – G – D7 – G
I Ain’t Got Nobody sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7V7GID7V7GI- D7D · F# · A · C
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Knock-knock chords
Chord, a quick knock-knock, a pause, then one last chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: G – D7 – G
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GD7G
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Questions about I Ain’t Got Nobody
What chords are in I Ain’t Got Nobody?
The loop is D7 – G – D7 – G (V7 – I – V7 – I) in G major, and the song ends on G – D7 – G.
What key is I Ain’t Got Nobody in?
G major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in I Ain’t Got Nobody?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Ain’t Got Nobody 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.