Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Shakedown Street on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Shakedown Street in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Dm – C – Dm – C
Shakedown Street sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiiCIDmiiCI
- DmD · F · A
- CC · E · G
52 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Heartbeat octavesRocking octaves · RockLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Pausing chords
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Pausing chordsBlock chords · ClassicalRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 100 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D

What chords are in Shakedown Street?

The loop is Dm – C – Dm – C (ii – I – ii – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Shakedown Street in?

C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Shakedown Street?

Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Shakedown Street 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.