Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Speak Low on piano
By Kurt Weill
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1943
- Medium
Learn Speak Low in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm7 – C7 – F – D7 – Bbm
Speak Low sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: Gm7 is G, Bb, D and F; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; D7 is D, F#, A and C; Bbm is Bb, Db and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Gm7ii7C7V7FID7VI7Bbmiv- Gm7G · Bb · D · F
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- D7D · F# · A · C
- BbmBb · Db · F
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
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: Soft chords
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 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: G7 – C7 – F
The last chords are II7 – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
G7C7F- G7G · B · D · F
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Questions about Speak Low
What chords are in Speak Low?
The loop is Gm7 – C7 – F – D7 – Bbm (ii7 – V7 – I – VI7 – iv) in F major, and the song ends on G7 – C7 – F.
What key is Speak Low in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Speak Low?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Speak Low easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 5 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Speak Low?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.