Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play Sands Of Waikiki on piano
Written by Jack Pitman
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 60 BPM
- I–VI7–ii–V7 loop
- 1960
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Sands Of Waikiki in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – G7 – Cm – F7
How it goes
Sands Of Waikiki sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; G7 is G, B, D and F; Cm is C, Eb and G; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIG7VI7CmiiF7V7- BbBb · D · F
- G7G · B · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Rising tide
How it goes
Five notes roll up wide and high, then hold: a tide coming in. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 187 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Bossa chords
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: soft Brazilian chords. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 60 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: Bb – F7 – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbF7Bb
Play next
Questions about Sands Of Waikiki
What chords are in Sands Of Waikiki?
The loop is Bb – G7 – Cm – F7 (I – VI7 – ii – V7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – F7 – Bb.
What key is Sands Of Waikiki in?
Bb major, at about 60 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Sands Of Waikiki?
Rising tide: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Sands Of Waikiki 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.