Piano chords · Bossa beach

How to play Penthouse Serenade on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Penthouse Serenade in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Em – A7 – Em – A7
How it goes
Penthouse Serenade sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; A7 is A, C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiiA7V7EmiiA7V7
- EmE · G · B
- A7A · C# · E · G
136 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Lazy seesaw
How it goes
A low note, a higher one, a gap, then the higher one again. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 520 songs of the library.
Lazy seesawRoot–fifth bass · Bossa novaLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
How it goes
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Hopscotch chordsBlock chords · StrideRight 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: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD
- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A

What chords are in Penthouse Serenade?

The loop is Em – A7 – Em – A7 (ii – V7 – ii – V7) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.

What key is Penthouse Serenade in?

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

What does the left hand play in Penthouse Serenade?

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

Is Penthouse Serenade 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.