Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Little Red Corvette on piano

By Prince

Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Late-hop footstepsRight hand Wait-a-beat chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Learn Little Red Corvette in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: F – G – Am – F

    Little Red Corvette sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    FIVGVAmviFIV
    • FF · A · C
    • GG · B · D
    • AmA · C · E
    55 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Late-hop footsteps

    Steady low-high steps with one quick extra hop after beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 659 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords

    Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 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. 5

    Ending: F – G – C

    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 Little Red Corvette

What chords are in Little Red Corvette?

The loop is F – G – Am – F (IV – V – vi – IV) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Little Red Corvette in?

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

What does the left hand play in Little Red Corvette?

Late-hop footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Little Red Corvette 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.