Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Spanish Flea on piano
By Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Spanish Flea in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Bb – Am – D7
How it goes
Spanish Flea sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Bb is Bb, D and F; Am is A, C and E; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIIBbIAmviiD7III7- CC · E · G
- BbBb · D · F
- AmA · C · E
- D7D · F# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
How it goes
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wake-and-run chords
How it goes
One long chord, then three quick ones running into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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 – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Spanish Flea
What chords are in Spanish Flea?
The loop is C – Bb – Am – D7 (II – I – vii – III7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Spanish Flea in?
Bb major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Spanish Flea?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Spanish Flea 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.