Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Respectable on piano
Artist unknown
- A major
- 2/2
- 110 BPM
- I–IV–I–V loop
- 1978
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Respectable in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – D – A – E
How it goes
Respectable sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIDIVAIEV- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
- 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.
- 3
Right hand: Candle flicker
How it goes
Two low chord notes flicker back and forth, warm like candlelight. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 110 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: D – E – A
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA
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Questions about Respectable
What chords are in Respectable?
The loop is A – D – A – E (I – IV – I – V) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Respectable in?
A major, at about 110 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Respectable?
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 Respectable 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.