Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Somebody's Knockin' At Your Door on piano
- G major
- 2/4
- 126 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 1996
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Somebody's Knockin' At Your Door in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – C – G – C
How it goes
Somebody's Knockin' At Your Door sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GICIVGICIV- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Ragtime bounce
How it goes
Quick bass-chord-bass-chord: the bouncy left hand of ragtime. Musicians call it boom-chick (2/4) (stride & boom-chick), a medium pattern heard in 137 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Marching chords
How it goes
Two chords per bar, left-right, like a happy little march. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 126 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: G – C – G
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GCG
Play next
Questions about Somebody's Knockin' At Your Door
What chords are in Somebody's Knockin' At Your Door?
The loop is G – C – G – C (I – IV – I – IV) in G major, and the song ends on G – C – G.
What key is Somebody's Knockin' At Your Door in?
G major, at about 126 beats a minute in 2/4.
What does the left hand play in Somebody's Knockin' At Your Door?
Ragtime bounce: boom-chick (2/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Somebody's Knockin' At Your Door 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.