Please, Please Baby Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Please, Please Baby in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: A – E – A – E
Please, Please Baby sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIVEIAIVEI
- AA · C# · E
- EE · G# · B
384 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll climb
Up three chord notes and one step past: the 1950s rock’n’roll climb. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-6 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 204 songs of the library.
Rock’n’roll climbBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Offbeat skankOffbeat chords · Blues and boogie-woogieRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 140 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: A – B – E
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE
- BB · D# · F#

What chords are in Please, Please Baby?

The loop is A – E – A – E (IV – I – IV – I) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.

What key is Please, Please Baby in?

E major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Please, Please Baby?

Rock’n’roll climb: broken chord 1-3-5-6, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Please, Please Baby 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.