Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Lady Marmalade on piano
By Patti LaBelle
- F major
- 4/4
- 115 BPM
- ii–V7–ii–V7 loop
- 1974
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Lady Marmalade in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – C7 – Gm – C7
How it goes
Lady Marmalade sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmiiC7V7GmiiC7V7- GmG · Bb · D
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 115 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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
Play next
Questions about Lady Marmalade
What chords are in Lady Marmalade?
The loop is Gm – C7 – Gm – C7 (ii – V7 – ii – V7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Lady Marmalade in?
F major, at about 115 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Lady Marmalade?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Lady Marmalade 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.