Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Kid Charlemagne on piano
Written by Walter Becker & Donald Fagen
- C major
- 2/2
- 100 BPM
- 1976
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Kid Charlemagne in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – G – F – Bb7
How it goes
Kid Charlemagne sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; G is G, B and D; F is F, A and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmviGVFIVBb7bVII7- AmA · C · E
- GG · B · D
- FF · A · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
How it goes
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- CC · E · G
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Questions about Kid Charlemagne
What chords are in Kid Charlemagne?
The loop is Am – G – F – Bb7 (vi – V – IV – bVII7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Kid Charlemagne in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Kid Charlemagne?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Kid Charlemagne 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.