Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Side To Side on piano
- F# minor
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 2016
- Easy
Learn Side To Side in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – F#m – C#m – E
Side To Side sits in F# minor: F# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; F#m is F#, A and C#; C#m is C#, E and G#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EVIIF#miC#mvEVII- EE · G# · B
- F#mF# · A · C#
- C#mC# · E · G#
- 2
Left hand: Boom-chick
Bass, chord, bass, chord: the bounce of ragtime and country. Musicians call it boom-chick (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 762 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: D – E – F#m
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEF#m- DD · F# · A
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Questions about Side To Side
What chords are in Side To Side?
The loop is E – F#m – C#m – E (bVII – i – v – bVII) in F# minor, and the song ends on D – E – F#m.
What key is Side To Side in?
F# minor, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Side To Side?
Boom-chick: boom-chick, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Side To Side 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.