Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Irvine on piano
- C minor
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- Easy
Learn Irvine in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Ab – Eb – G7
Irvine sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiAbVIEbIIIG7V7- CmC · Eb · G
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- G7G · B · D · F
- 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: Hide-and-seek chords
Hides on beat 1, pops up on 2, sneaks in before beat 4, then lands on it. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Ab – Bb – Cm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm- BbBb · D · F
Play next
Questions about Irvine
What chords are in Irvine?
The loop is Cm – Ab – Eb – G7 (i – bVI – bIII – V7) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is Irvine in?
C minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Irvine?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Irvine 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.