How to play Little People on piano

Learn Little People in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: D – Em – A7 – D
How it goes
Little People sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; Em is E, G and B; A7 is A, C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIEmiiA7V7DI
- DD · F# · A
- EmE · G · B
- A7A · C# · E · G
169 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Boom-chick
How it goes
Bass, chord, bass, chord: the bounce of ragtime and country. Musicians call it boom-chick (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 762 songs of the library.
Boom-chickStride & boom-chick · StrideLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Marching chords
How it goes
Two chords per bar, left-right, like a happy little march. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Marching chordsBlock chords · StrideRight handEasy
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: D – A7 – D
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DA7D

What chords are in Little People?

The loop is D – Em – A7 – D (I – ii – V7 – I) in D major, and the song ends on D – A7 – D.

What key is Little People in?

D major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Little People?

Boom-chick: boom-chick, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Little People 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.