Piano chords · Old-time stride

How to play Issues on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Issues in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Db – Eb – Ab – Eb
Issues sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIVEbVAbIEbV
- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
31 songs go round the same chords
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.
Oom-pahStride & boom-chick · StrideLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Hand-clap chords
Rests on beat 1, then clap-clap on 2 and one more clap on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Hand-clap chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
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: Db – Eb – Ab
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb

What chords are in Issues?

The loop is Db – Eb – Ab – Eb (IV – V – I – V) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.

What key is Issues in?

Ab major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Issues?

Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Issues 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.