Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play One Night In Bangkok on piano
Written by Benny Andersson, Tim Rice & others
- D minor
- 4/4
- 85 BPM
- 1984
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn One Night In Bangkok in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Dm – Gm – Dm
How it goes
One Night In Bangkok sits in D minor: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Dm is D, F and A; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CVIIDmiGmivDmi- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Marching chords
How it goes
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 85 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: Bb – C – Dm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCDm- BbBb · D · F
Play next
Questions about One Night In Bangkok
What chords are in One Night In Bangkok?
The loop is C – Dm – Gm – Dm (bVII – i – iv – i) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.
What key is One Night In Bangkok in?
D minor, at about 85 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in One Night In Bangkok?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is One Night In Bangkok 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.