Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Thanks For The Memory on piano
By Ralph Rainger
- F major
- 4/4
- 110 BPM
- 1937
- Easy
Learn Thanks For The Memory in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – C7 – F – F#dim
Thanks For The Memory sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; F#dim is F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmiiC7V7FIF#dimbii°- GmG · Bb · D
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- F#dimF# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Stride jumps
Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
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 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
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Questions about Thanks For The Memory
What chords are in Thanks For The Memory?
The loop is Gm – C7 – F – F#dim (ii – V7 – I – biio) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Thanks For The Memory in?
F major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Thanks For The Memory?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Thanks For The Memory 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.