Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play I Only Have Eyes For You on piano
By Harry Warren
- C major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 1934
- Easy
Learn I Only Have Eyes For You in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – G7 – Dm – Em7 – G7 – F – Dm7 – G7
I Only Have Eyes For You sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: G is G, B and D; G7 is G, B, D and F; Dm is D, F and A; Em7 is E, G, B and D; F is F, A and C; Dm7 is D, F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GVG7V7DmiiEm7iii7G7V7FIVDm7ii7G7V7- GG · B · D
- G7G · B · D · F
- DmD · F · A
- Em7E · G · B · D
- FF · A · C
- Dm7D · F · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Oom-pah
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: C – Dm – C
The last chords are I – ii – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDmC- CC · E · G
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Questions about I Only Have Eyes For You
What chords are in I Only Have Eyes For You?
The loop is G – G7 – Dm – Em7 – G7 – F – Dm7 – G7 (V – V7 – ii – iii7 – V7 – IV – ii7 – V7) in C major, and the song ends on C – Dm – C.
What key is I Only Have Eyes For You in?
C major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Only Have Eyes For You?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Only Have Eyes For You easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of I Only Have Eyes For You?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.