Piano chords · Bossa beach

How to play Tango: Maureen on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Tango: Maureen in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Fm – C – Fm – C
Tango: Maureen sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmivCIFmivCI
- FmF · Ab · C
- CC · E · G
14 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Lazy seesaw
A low note, a higher one, a gap, then the higher one again. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 520 songs of the library.
Lazy seesawRoot–fifth bass · Bossa novaLeft handEasy
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.
Soft chordsBlock chords · BalladRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 129 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 – Cm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm
- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G

What chords are in Tango: Maureen?

The loop is Fm – C – Fm – C (iv – I – iv – I) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.

What key is Tango: Maureen in?

C minor, at about 129 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Tango: Maureen?

Lazy seesaw: root–fifth 1-5-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Tango: Maureen 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.