Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play The Best Of Times on piano
By Jerry Herman
- F major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 1983
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Best Of Times in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – C – G#dim – Gm
How it goes
The Best Of Times sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G; G#dim is G#, B and D; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FICVG#dimbiii°Gmii- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- G#dimG# · B · D
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Boom-chick
How it goes
Bass, chord, bass, chord: the bounce of ragtime and country. Musicians call it boom-chick (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 762 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 160 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 – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
Play next
Questions about The Best Of Times
What chords are in The Best Of Times?
The loop is F – C – G#dim – Gm (I – V – biiio – ii) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is The Best Of Times in?
F major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Best Of Times?
Boom-chick: boom-chick, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Best Of Times 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.