Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Lush Life on piano
- Db major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- Medium
Learn Lush Life in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Cb7 – Dbmaj7 – Cb7 – Dbmaj7 – Cb7 – Dbmaj7 – Ebm7 – Fbmaj7
Lush Life sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 9 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Cb7 is Cb, Eb, Gb and Bbb; Dbmaj7 is Db, F, Ab and C; Ebm7 is Eb, Gb, Bb and Db; Fbmaj7 is Fb, Ab, Cb and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbICb7bVII7Dbmaj7Imaj7Cb7bVII7Dbmaj7Imaj7Cb7bVII7Dbmaj7Imaj7Ebm7ii7Fbmaj7bIIImaj7- DbDb · F · Ab
- Cb7Cb · Eb · Gb · Bbb
- Dbmaj7Db · F · Ab · C
- Ebm7Eb · Gb · Bb · Db
- Fbmaj7Fb · Ab · Cb · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: Gb – Ab – Db
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbDb- GbGb · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb
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Questions about Lush Life
What chords are in Lush Life?
The loop is Db – Cb7 – Dbmaj7 – Cb7 – Dbmaj7 – Cb7 – Dbmaj7 – Ebm7 – Fbmaj7 (I – bVII7 – Imaj7 – bVII7 – Imaj7 – bVII7 – Imaj7 – ii7 – bIIImaj7) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.
What key is Lush Life in?
Db major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Lush Life?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Lush Life easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 9 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Lush Life?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.