Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Is You Is, Or Is You Ain’t on piano
Written by Billy Austin & Louis Jordan
- G minor
- 4/4
- 128 BPM
- 1943
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Is You Is, Or Is You Ain’t in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – Em – Eb7 – D7
How it goes
Is You Is, Or Is You Ain’t sits in G minor: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; Em is E, G and B; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmiEmviEb7VI7D7V7- GmG · Bb · D
- EmE · G · B
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- D7D · F# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Jazz walk
How it goes
One note per beat, strolling like a jazz bassist. Musicians call it walking bass (walking bass), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 128 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: Eb – F – Gm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFGm- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Is You Is, Or Is You Ain’t
What chords are in Is You Is, Or Is You Ain’t?
The loop is Gm – Em – Eb7 – D7 (i – vi – bVI7 – V7) in G minor, and the song ends on Eb – F – Gm.
What key is Is You Is, Or Is You Ain’t in?
G minor, at about 128 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Is You Is, Or Is You Ain’t?
Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Is You Is, Or Is You Ain’t 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.