Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Mississippi Mud on piano
By Harry Barris
- C major
- 2/2
- 110 BPM
- 1927
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Mississippi Mud in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Cdim – C – Cdim
How it goes
Mississippi Mud sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Cdim is C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CICdimi°CICdimi°- CC · E · G
- CdimC · 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: Push chords
How it goes
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 110 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Mississippi Mud
What chords are in Mississippi Mud?
The loop is C – Cdim – C – Cdim (I – io – I – io) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Mississippi Mud in?
C major, at about 110 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Mississippi Mud?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Mississippi Mud 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.