Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Professor Bop on piano
By Babs Gonzalez
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 1990
- Easy
Learn Professor Bop in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F7 – Bb7 – Ab7 – Gb7
Professor Bop sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb; Gb7 is Gb, Bb, Db and Fb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F7V7Bb7I7Ab7bVII7Gb7bVI7- F7F · A · C · Eb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- Gb7Gb · Bb · Db · Fb
- 2
Left hand: Drowsy heartbeat
Two slow notes, then a late one that slips in before the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 889 songs of the library.
- 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
Both hands at 160 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: Eb – F – Bb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Professor Bop
What chords are in Professor Bop?
The loop is F7 – Bb7 – Ab7 – Gb7 (V7 – I7 – bVII7 – bVI7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Professor Bop in?
Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Professor Bop?
Drowsy heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Professor Bop 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.