Send In The Clowns Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Send In The Clowns in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Bb7 – Eb – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
Send In The Clowns sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bb7V7EbIBb7V7EbI
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
414 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Moon River roll
How it goes
A wide, flowing roll in three, the Moon River feel. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 441 songs of the library.
Moon River rollOpen arpeggio · WaltzLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Waltz chords
How it goes
A chord on each of the three beats: a simple waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Waltz chordsBlock chords · WaltzRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 150 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 – Ebsus4 – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are I – Isus – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbEbsus4Eb
- Ebsus4Eb · Ab · Bb

What chords are in Send In The Clowns?

The loop is Bb7 – Eb – Bb7 – Eb (V7 – I – V7 – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Ebsus4 – Eb.

What key is Send In The Clowns in?

Eb major, at about 150 beats a minute in 3/4.

What does the left hand play in Send In The Clowns?

Moon River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Send In The Clowns 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.