Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play It Don’t Mean A Thing on piano
- Bb major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 1932
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn It Don’t Mean A Thing in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – Gb7 – Cm7 – Bb – D7
How it goes
It Don’t Mean A Thing sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Gb7 is Gb, Bb, Db and Fb; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7II7Gb7bVI7Cm7ii7BbID7III7- C7C · E · G · Bb
- Gb7Gb · Bb · Db · Fb
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- D7D · F# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
How it goes
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
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 160 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 – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
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Questions about It Don’t Mean A Thing
What chords are in It Don’t Mean A Thing?
The loop is C7 – Gb7 – Cm7 – Bb – D7 (II7 – bVI7 – ii7 – I – III7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is It Don’t Mean A Thing in?
Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in It Don’t Mean A Thing?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is It Don’t Mean A Thing easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of It Don’t Mean A Thing?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 7 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.