Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Route 66 on piano
By Bobby Troup
- F major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 1946
- Easy
Learn Route 66 in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – Gm – G#dim – F
Route 66 sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Gm is G, Bb and D; G#dim is G#, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIGmiiG#dimbiii°FI- FF · A · C
- GmG · Bb · D
- G#dimG# · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Jazz walk
One note per beat, strolling like a jazz bassist. Musicians call it walking bass (walking bass), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleep-in chords
Quiet for half the bar, then three chords wake up near the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 BPM
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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
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Questions about Route 66
What chords are in Route 66?
The loop is F – Gm – G#dim – F (I – ii – biiio – I) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Route 66 in?
F major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Route 66?
Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Route 66 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.