Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play Red, Red Wine on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Red, Red Wine in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: G – E7 – Am7 – D7 – G – C – G – G – D7
How it goes
Red, Red Wine sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 9 chords: G is G, B and D; E7 is E, G#, B and D; Am7 is A, C, E and G; D7 is D, F#, A and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIE7VI7Am7ii7D7V7GICIVGIGID7V7
- GG · B · D
- E7E · G# · B · D
- Am7A · C · E · G
- D7D · F# · A · C
- CC · E · G
75 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll rocker
How it goes
The left hand rocks between two shapes, straight out of the 1950s. Musicians call it rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 262 songs of the library.
Rock’n’roll rockerBoogie & shuffle · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handMedium
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.
Pop stabsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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 – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG
- DD · F# · A

What chords are in Red, Red Wine?

The loop is G – E7 – Am7 – D7 – G – C – G – G – D7 (I – VI7 – ii7 – V7 – I – IV – I – V7 – I) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.

What key is Red, Red Wine in?

G major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Red, Red Wine?

Rock’n’roll rocker: rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Red, Red Wine easy to play on piano?

It is a medium one: learn the 9 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.

Can I hear the real melody of Red, Red Wine?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

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