Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Raised In Harlem on piano
Written by Eddie Degarmo, Bob Farrell & others
- C minor
- 4/4
- 88 BPM
- 2003
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Raised In Harlem in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Bbsus4 – C – Bbsus4
How it goes
Raised In Harlem sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Bbsus4 is Bb, Eb and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIBbsus4VIIsus4CIBbsus4VIIsus4- CC · E · G
- Bbsus4Bb · Eb · F
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
How it goes
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 88 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: Ab – Bb – Cm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
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Questions about Raised In Harlem
What chords are in Raised In Harlem?
The loop is C – Bbsus4 – C – Bbsus4 (I5 – bVIIsus – I5 – bVIIsus) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is Raised In Harlem in?
C minor, at about 88 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Raised In Harlem?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Raised In Harlem easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.