Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Peg on piano

By Steely Dan

Tuning the piano…
Learn it
Style

Left hand Hurry-and-wait pulseRight hand Swing pushChords the loop the song repeats most

Learn Peg in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: C – G – C – G

    Peg sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    CIVGICIVGI
    • CC · E · G
    • GG · B · D
    384 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Hurry-and-wait pulse

    Three quick notes rush out early, then the bass waits for the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 336 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Swing push

    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.

  4. 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. 5

    Ending: C – D – G

    The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    CDG
    • DD · F# · A

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Questions about Peg

What chords are in Peg?

The loop is C – G – C – G (IV – I – IV – I) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.

What key is Peg in?

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

What does the left hand play in Peg?

Hurry-and-wait pulse: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Peg 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.