Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Night Train on piano
By Buddy Morrlow
- G major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1952
- Medium
Learn Night Train in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – G7 – C7 – G7
Night Train sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; G7 is G, B, D and F; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7V7G7I7C7IV7G7I7- D7D · F# · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll rocker
The left hand rocks between two shapes, straight out of the 1950s. Musicians call it rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 262 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: C – D – G
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Night Train
What chords are in Night Train?
The loop is D7 – G7 – C7 – G7 (V7 – I7 – IV7 – I7) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Night Train in?
G major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Night Train?
Rock’n’roll rocker: rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Night Train 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.