Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play I Hear A Rhapsody on piano
By Dick Gasparre
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 150 BPM
- 2006
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Hear A Rhapsody in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Bb7 – Eb – Ab7
How it goes
I Hear A Rhapsody sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmiiBb7V7EbIAb7IV7- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- 2
Left hand: Velvet jazz
How it goes
Two soft notes on each beat: the cozy colour of old jazz ballads. Musicians call it lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
How it goes
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 150 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about I Hear A Rhapsody
What chords are in I Hear A Rhapsody?
The loop is Fm – Bb7 – Eb – Ab7 (ii – V7 – I – IV7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is I Hear A Rhapsody in?
Eb major, at about 150 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Hear A Rhapsody?
Velvet jazz: lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Hear A Rhapsody 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.