Playing In The Band Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Playing In The Band in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: D – A – D – A
How it goes
Playing In The Band 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. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIAVDIAV
- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
144 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Groovy roots
How it goes
Notes jump around the “ands”, giving the bass a funky bounce. Musicians call it root bass · syncopated 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 363 songs of the library.
Groovy rootsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Dawdling chords
How it goes
Two chords, then a lazy late one after beat 3 that catches up on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Dawdling chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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 – A7 – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GA7D
- GG · B · D
- A7A · C# · E · G

What chords are in Playing In The Band?

The loop is D – A – D – A (I – V – I – V) in D major, and the song ends on G – A7 – D.

What key is Playing In The Band in?

D major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Playing In The Band?

Groovy roots: root bass · syncopated 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Playing In The Band easy to play on piano?

It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.