Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Steppin’ Out on piano

By Joe Jackson

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Steppin’ Out in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Fmaj7 – Fmaj7 – Ebmaj7 – Dm7 – Dm7
Steppin’ Out sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: Fmaj7 is F, A, C and E; Ebmaj7 is Eb, G, Bb and D; Dm7 is D, F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Fmaj7Imaj7Fmaj7Imaj7Ebmaj7bVIImaj7Dm7vi7Dm7vi7
- Fmaj7F · A · C · E
- Ebmaj7Eb · G · Bb · D
- Dm7D · F · A · C
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: Pop stabs
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Pop stabsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 140 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF
- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C

What chords are in Steppin’ Out?

The loop is Fmaj7 – Fmaj7 – Ebmaj7 – Dm7 – Dm7 (Imaj7 – bVIImaj7 – vi7 – Imaj7 – bVIImaj7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.

What key is Steppin’ Out in?

F major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Steppin’ Out?

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

Is Steppin’ Out easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Steppin’ Out?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the bass riff of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.