Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Make ’em Laugh on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Make ’em Laugh in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Fm – Bb7 – Fm – Bb7
Make ’em Laugh sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmiiBb7V7FmiiBb7V7
- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
136 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Walking roots
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Walking rootsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Hopscotch bellsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 160 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: F7 – Bb7 – Eb
The last chords are II7 – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
F7Bb7Eb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb

What chords are in Make ’em Laugh?

The loop is Fm – Bb7 – Fm – Bb7 (ii – V7 – ii – V7) in Eb major, and the song ends on F7 – Bb7 – Eb.

What key is Make ’em Laugh in?

Eb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Make ’em Laugh?

Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Make ’em Laugh 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.