Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Summer Nights on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Summer Nights in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: D – G – A – Bm
Summer Nights sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; G is G, B and D; A is A, C# and E; Bm is B, D and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIGIVAVBmvi
- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
- BmB · D · F#
34 songs go round the same chords
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: Swing push
Three chords tumble out early with a swing, then the bar breathes. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Swing pushSyncopated chords · Blues and boogie-woogieRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 110 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 – A – D
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DAD

What chords are in Summer Nights?

The loop is D – G – A – Bm (I – IV – V – vi) in D major, and the song ends on D – A – D.

What key is Summer Nights in?

D major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Summer Nights?

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

Is Summer Nights 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.