Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Makin’ Whoopee! on piano
By John Hicks
- Db major
- 4/4
- 108 BPM
- I–ii–V7–I loop
- 1928
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Makin’ Whoopee! in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Ebm – Ab7 – Db
How it goes
Makin’ Whoopee! sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Ebm is Eb, Gb and Bb; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIEbmiiAb7V7DbI- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbmEb · Gb · Bb
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
How it goes
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: Pausing chords
How it goes
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 108 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: Gb – Ab – Db
How it goes
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
Play next
Questions about Makin’ Whoopee!
What chords are in Makin’ Whoopee!?
The loop is Db – Ebm – Ab7 – Db (I – ii – V7 – I) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.
What key is Makin’ Whoopee! in?
Db major, at about 108 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Makin’ Whoopee!?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Makin’ Whoopee! 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 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.