Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Old-time stride

How to play Pretty Baby on piano

By Al Jolson

Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Stride jumpsRight hand Push chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Learn Pretty Baby in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: G7 – C – G7 – C

    Pretty Baby sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    G7V7CIG7V7CI
    • G7G · B · D · F
    • CC · E · G
    414 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Stride jumps

    Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Push chords

    Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 110 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: D7 – G7 – C

    The last chords are II7 – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    D7G7C
    • D7D · F# · A · C

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Questions about Pretty Baby

What chords are in Pretty Baby?

The loop is G7 – C – G7 – C (V7 – I – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on D7 – G7 – C.

What key is Pretty Baby in?

C major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Pretty Baby?

Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Pretty 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.

Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.