Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Surfin’ U.S.A. on piano
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 150 BPM
- 1958
- Medium
Learn Surfin’ U.S.A. in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Ab – C – Eb
Surfin’ U.S.A. sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; C is C, E and G; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbVAbIVCVIEbI- BbBb · D · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
- CC · E · G
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll climb
Up three chord notes and one step past: the 1950s rock’n’roll climb. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-6 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 204 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pony-trot chords
Quick trotting chords, then a jump over beat 3 to its “and”. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 150 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb
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Questions about Surfin’ U.S.A.
What chords are in Surfin’ U.S.A.?
The loop is Bb – Ab – C – Eb (V – IV – VI – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Surfin’ U.S.A. in?
Eb major, at about 150 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Surfin’ U.S.A.?
Rock’n’roll climb: broken chord 1-3-5-6, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Surfin’ U.S.A. 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.