Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Love Shack on piano
Written by Catherine E. Pierson, Frederick W. Schneider & others
- C major
- 4/4
- 132 BPM
- 1989
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Love Shack in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – Gm – C7 – Gm
How it goes
Love Shack sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7I7GmvC7I7Gmv- C7C · E · G · Bb
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Gospel-clap chords
How it goes
Skips beat 1, then soulful chords that bounce off the “ands”. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 132 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- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
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Questions about Love Shack
What chords are in Love Shack?
The loop is C7 – Gm – C7 – Gm (I7 – v – I7 – v) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Love Shack in?
C major, at about 132 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Love Shack?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Love Shack 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.