Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Miss Otis Regrets (She’s Unable To Lunch Today) on piano
By Cole Porter
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1934
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Miss Otis Regrets (She’s Unable To Lunch Today) in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Eb7 – Ab – Fm
How it goes
Miss Otis Regrets (She’s Unable To Lunch Today) sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbbIIIEb7bIII7AbbVIFmiv- EbEb · G · Bb
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Rolling waves
How it goes
Rolls up to the high third and back down, like a wave on the shore. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10-5 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 545 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: D7 – G7 – C
How it goes
The last chords are II7 – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
D7G7C- D7D · F# · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
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Questions about Miss Otis Regrets (She’s Unable To Lunch Today)
What chords are in Miss Otis Regrets (She’s Unable To Lunch Today)?
The loop is Eb – Eb7 – Ab – Fm (bIII – bIII7 – bVI – iv) in C major, and the song ends on D7 – G7 – C.
What key is Miss Otis Regrets (She’s Unable To Lunch Today) in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Miss Otis Regrets (She’s Unable To Lunch Today)?
Rolling waves: open arpeggio 1-5-10-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Miss Otis Regrets (She’s Unable To Lunch Today) 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.