Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play No Tengo Dinero on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn No Tengo Dinero in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: A – E7 – A – E7
How it goes
No Tengo Dinero sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; E7 is E, G#, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIE7V7AIE7V7
- AA · C# · E
- E7E · G# · B · D
222 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Seesaw bass
How it goes
Low, higher, low, higher on every beat: a steady seesaw. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-1-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 481 songs of the library.
Seesaw bassRoot–fifth bass · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Swing push
How it goes
Three chords tumble out early with a swing, then the bar breathes. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Swing pushSyncopated chords · Blues and boogie-woogieRight handEasy
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: D – E – A
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA
- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B

What chords are in No Tengo Dinero?

The loop is A – E7 – A – E7 (I – V7 – I – V7) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.

What key is No Tengo Dinero in?

A major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in No Tengo Dinero?

Seesaw bass: root–fifth 1-5-1-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is No Tengo Dinero 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.