Piano chords · Bossa beach

How to play Postcards From Richard Nixon on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Postcards From Richard Nixon in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: C – F – C – F
How it goes
Postcards From Richard Nixon sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVCIFIV
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
782 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: Offbeat skank
How it goes
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 160 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: C – F – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CFC

What chords are in Postcards From Richard Nixon?

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

What key is Postcards From Richard Nixon in?

C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Postcards From Richard Nixon?

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

Is Postcards From Richard Nixon 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.