Reeling In The Years Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Reeling In The Years in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Cm – Bb – Eb – Bb
How it goes
Reeling In The Years sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Bb is Bb, D and F; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiiBbIEbIVBbI
- CmC · Eb · G
- BbBb · D · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
12 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Little steps
How it goes
Up the chord and back, one step at a time. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-3 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 304 songs of the library.
Little stepsBroken chord · ClassicalLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Trotting-sleigh chords
How it goes
Three quick chords on every beat: a rolling, joyful gallop. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Trotting-sleigh chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handTricky
4
Both hands at 118 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb
- FF · A · C

What chords are in Reeling In The Years?

The loop is Cm – Bb – Eb – Bb (ii – I – IV – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.

What key is Reeling In The Years in?

Bb major, at about 118 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Reeling In The Years?

Little steps: broken chord 1-3-5-3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Reeling In The Years easy to play on piano?

It is a tricky one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.