Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Isn’t This A Lovely Day? on piano
By Top Hat Cast
- G major
- 2/2
- 100 BPM
- 1935
- Easy
Learn Isn’t This A Lovely Day? in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Cm – Cm – D7 – G – G – G7
Isn’t This A Lovely Day? sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: C is C, E and G; Cm is C, Eb and G; D7 is D, F#, A and C; G is G, B and D; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIVCmivCmivD7V7GIGIG7I7- CC · E · G
- CmC · Eb · G
- D7D · F# · A · C
- GG · B · D
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Velvet jazz
Two soft notes on each beat: the cozy colour of old jazz ballads. Musicians call it lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. 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: G – C – G
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GCG
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Questions about Isn’t This A Lovely Day?
What chords are in Isn’t This A Lovely Day??
The loop is C – Cm – Cm – D7 – G – G – G7 (IV – iv – V7 – I – I7 – IV – iv) in G major, and the song ends on G – C – G.
What key is Isn’t This A Lovely Day? in?
G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Isn’t This A Lovely Day??
Velvet jazz: lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Isn’t This A Lovely Day? easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 7 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Isn’t This A Lovely Day??
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.