Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Just A Gigolo on piano
Written by Julius Brammer
- G major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–V–I–V loop
- 1929
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Just A Gigolo in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – D – G – D
How it goes
Just A Gigolo sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIDVGIDV- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Stride jumps
How it goes
Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Slow-down chords
How it goes
Quick chords rush through the first half, then slow down to land on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: G – Gsus4 – G
How it goes
The last chords are I – Isus – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GGsus4G- Gsus4G · C · D
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Questions about Just A Gigolo
What chords are in Just A Gigolo?
The loop is G – D – G – D (I – V – I – V) in G major, and the song ends on G – Gsus4 – G.
What key is Just A Gigolo in?
G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Just A Gigolo?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Just A Gigolo 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.