Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Teach Me Tonight on piano
By Sammy Cahn
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1953
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Teach Me Tonight in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – Db7 – C7 – Fm
How it goes
Teach Me Tonight sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; Db7 is Db, F, Ab and Cb; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmviDb7bIII7C7II7Fmv- GmG · Bb · D
- Db7Db · F · Ab · Cb
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Velvet jazz
How it goes
Two soft notes on each beat: the cozy colour of old jazz ballads. Musicians call it lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
How it goes
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 BPM
How it goes
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 – Eb7 – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbEb7Bb- BbBb · D · F
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
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Questions about Teach Me Tonight
What chords are in Teach Me Tonight?
The loop is Gm – Db7 – C7 – Fm (vi – bIII7 – II7 – v) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – Eb7 – Bb.
What key is Teach Me Tonight in?
Bb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Teach Me Tonight?
Velvet jazz: lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Teach Me Tonight 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.