Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

How to play Me & My Uncle on piano

By Grateful Dead

Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Bluesy shrugRight hand Gospel-clap chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Me & My Uncle in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: Em – G – Em – G

    How it goes

    Me & My Uncle sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    EmiGIIIEmiGIII
    • EmE · G · B
    • GG · B · D
    23 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Bluesy shrug

    How it goes

    A long root, then down and back up to a bluesy note. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-7 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.

  3. 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. 4

    Both hands at 160 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. 5

    Ending: C – D – Em

    How it goes

    The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    CDEm
    • CC · E · G
    • DD · F# · A

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Questions about Me & My Uncle

What chords are in Me & My Uncle?

The loop is Em – G – Em – G (i – bIII – i – bIII) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.

What key is Me & My Uncle in?

E minor, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Me & My Uncle?

Bluesy shrug: broken chord 8-5-7, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Me & My Uncle 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.