Jazz 'n' Samba Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Jazz 'n' Samba in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: C – D7 – G7 – C
Jazz 'n' Samba sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; D7 is D, F#, A and C; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CID7II7G7V7CI
- CC · E · G
- D7D · F# · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
34 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Yo-yo bounce
A long high root, a dip down, and back up like a yo-yo. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 629 songs of the library.
Yo-yo bounceBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Gear-shift chords
Quick even chords that skip beat 3, like an engine changing gear. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Gear-shift chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handMedium
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: C – G7 – C
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CG7C

What chords are in Jazz 'n' Samba?

The loop is C – D7 – G7 – C (I – II7 – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.

What key is Jazz 'n' Samba in?

C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Jazz 'n' Samba?

Yo-yo bounce: broken chord 8-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Jazz 'n' Samba easy to play on piano?

It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.