Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Sunny on piano

By Bobby Hebb

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Sunny in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Bbm – Abm – Db7 – Gb – Gb – F
Sunny sits in Bb minor: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Abm is Ab, Cb and Eb; Db7 is Db, F, Ab and Cb; Gb is Gb, Bb and Db; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbmiAbmviiDb7III7GbVIGbVIFV
- BbmBb · Db · F
- AbmAb · Cb · Eb
- Db7Db · F · Ab · Cb
- GbGb · Bb · Db
- FF · A · C
2
Left hand: Marching giant
Thick three-note chords on every beat, rocking between two shapes. Musicians call it lh triads (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Marching giantLeft-hand chords · RockLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Double-clap chords
Quick double claps on beats 2 and 4, leaving beats 1 and 3 empty. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Double-clap chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 130 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: Gb – Ab – Bbm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbBbm
- AbAb · C · Eb

What chords are in Sunny?

The loop is Bbm – Abm – Db7 – Gb – Gb – F (i – vii – III7 – VI – V – i) in Bb minor, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Bbm.

What key is Sunny in?

Bb minor, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Sunny?

Marching giant: lh triads, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Sunny easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Sunny?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune 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.