Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play I Won't Dance (from Roberta) on piano
By Fred Astaire
- C major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 1934
- Easy
Learn I Won't Dance (from Roberta) in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – F – Bb7 – C
I Won't Dance (from Roberta) sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7I7FIVBb7bVII7CI- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Island pulse
Three, three, two: the island rhythm in so many pop hits. Musicians call it root bass · tresillo 3-3-2 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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 – G7 – C
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CG7C- G7G · B · D · F
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Questions about I Won't Dance (from Roberta)
What chords are in I Won't Dance (from Roberta)?
The loop is C7 – F – Bb7 – C (I7 – IV – bVII7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.
What key is I Won't Dance (from Roberta) in?
C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Won't Dance (from Roberta)?
Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Won't Dance (from Roberta) 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.