Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play In The Mood on piano
By Ernie Field's Orchestra
- G major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- I–biiio–ii–V7 loop
- 1939
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn In The Mood in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – A#dim – Am – D7
How it goes
In The Mood sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; A#dim is A#, C# and E; Am is A, C and E; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIA#dimbiii°AmiiD7V7- GG · B · D
- A#dimA# · C# · E
- AmA · C · E
- D7D · F# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll rocker
How it goes
The left hand rocks between two shapes, straight out of the 1950s. Musicians call it rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 262 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Rising bubbles
How it goes
Three notes float up again and again, each time starting just off the beat. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 140 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
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Questions about In The Mood
What chords are in In The Mood?
The loop is G – A#dim – Am – D7 (I – biiio – ii – V7) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is In The Mood in?
G major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in In The Mood?
Rock’n’roll rocker: rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is In The Mood 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.