Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play My Little Drum on piano
Written by Vince Guaraldi
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1966
- Easy
Learn My Little Drum in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – F7 – Bm – Bbm
My Little Drum sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bm is B, D and F#; Bbm is Bb, Db and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIF7I7Bm#ivBbmiv- FF · A · C
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BmB · D · F#
- BbmBb · Db · F
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Dawdling chords
Two chords, then a lazy late one after beat 3 that catches up on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about My Little Drum
What chords are in My Little Drum?
The loop is F – F7 – Bm – Bbm (I – I7 – #iv – iv) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is My Little Drum in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in My Little Drum?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is My Little Drum 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.