Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Lucille on piano
By Kenny Rogers
- Bb major
- 3/4
- 120 BPM
- V7–I–V7–I loop
- Medium
Learn Lucille in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F7 – Bb – F7 – Bb
Lucille sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F7V7BbIF7V7BbI- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Oom-pah-pah
One strong beat and two light ones: a dance in three. Musicians call it waltz oom-pah-pah (waltz), an easy pattern heard in 526 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Chattering waltz
After the first beat, quick chords and notes chatter to the end of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 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
Ending: Bb – F7 – Bb
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbF7Bb
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Questions about Lucille
What chords are in Lucille?
The loop is F7 – Bb – F7 – Bb (V7 – I – V7 – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – F7 – Bb.
What key is Lucille in?
Bb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Lucille?
Oom-pah-pah: waltz oom-pah-pah, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Lucille 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.