Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Party Time on piano
By T.G. Sheppard
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- IV–I–V–ii loop
- 1980
- Tricky
Learn Party Time in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – F – C – Gm
Party Time sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIVFICVGmii- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Marching giant
Thick three-note chords on every beat, rocking between two shapes. Musicians call it lh triads (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Trotting-sleigh chords
Three quick chords on every beat: a rolling, joyful gallop. 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
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Questions about Party Time
What chords are in Party Time?
The loop is Bb – F – C – Gm (IV – I – V – ii) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Party Time in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Party Time?
Marching giant: lh triads, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Party Time easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.