Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play The Chipmunk Song on piano
By Alvin And The Chipmunks
- A major
- 4/4
- 153 BPM
- 1958
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Chipmunk Song in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – E – G – D
How it goes
The Chipmunk Song sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; E is E, G# and B; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIEVGbVIIDIV- AA · C# · E
- EE · G# · B
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Heartbeat chords
How it goes
Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 153 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: G – D – A
How it goes
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GDA
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Questions about The Chipmunk Song
What chords are in The Chipmunk Song?
The loop is A – E – G – D (I5 – V5 – bVII5 – IV5) in A major, and the song ends on G – D – A.
What key is The Chipmunk Song in?
A major, at about 153 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Chipmunk Song?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Chipmunk Song 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.