Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Old-time stride

How to play Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) on piano

By Antonio Carlos Jobim

  • C major
  • 4/4
  • 140 BPM
  • 1962
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Oom-pahRight hand Pop stabsChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: Gm – C7 – F – Fm

    How it goes

    Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    GmvC7I7FIVFmiv
    • GmG · Bb · D
    • C7C · E · G · Bb
    • FF · A · C
    • FmF · Ab · C
  2. 2

    Left hand: Oom-pah

    How it goes

    A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Pop stabs

    How it goes

    Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 140 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. 5

    Ending: F – G – C

    How it goes

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

    FGC
    • GG · B · D
    • CC · E · G

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Questions about Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)

What chords are in Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)?

The loop is Gm – C7 – F – Fm (v – I7 – IV – iv) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) in?

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

What does the left hand play in Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)?

Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.