Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Not While I’m Around on piano
- D major
- 4/4
- 76 BPM
- Easy
Learn Not While I’m Around in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – A – Bm – A
Not While I’m Around sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E; Bm is B, D and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIAVBmviAV- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- BmB · D · F#
- 2
Left hand: Brass-band march
A bold open chord, then a low note: oom-pah like a marching band. Musicians call it lh power fifths (2/4) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in 234 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Marching chords
Two chords per bar, left-right, like a happy little march. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 76 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: G – A – D
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- GG · B · D
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Questions about Not While I’m Around
What chords are in Not While I’m Around?
The loop is D – A – Bm – A (I5 – V – vi – V) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Not While I’m Around in?
D major, at about 76 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Not While I’m Around?
Brass-band march: lh power fifths (2/4), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Not While I’m Around 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.