Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play In A Mellow Tone on piano
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1940
- Easy
Learn In A Mellow Tone in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Bb7 – Eb7 – Bb7
In A Mellow Tone sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIBb7II7Eb7V7Bb7II7- AbAb · C · Eb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- 2
Left hand: Stride jumps
Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
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 100 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: Db – Eb – Ab
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about In A Mellow Tone
What chords are in In A Mellow Tone?
The loop is Ab – Bb7 – Eb7 – Bb7 (I – II7 – V7 – II7) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is In A Mellow Tone in?
Ab major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in In A Mellow Tone?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is In A Mellow Tone 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.