The Continental Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn The Continental in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Fm – Bb7 – Eb – Fm
The Continental sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmiiBb7V7EbIFmii
- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
62 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Velvet jazz
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.
Velvet jazzLeft-hand chords · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Heartbeat chords
Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Heartbeat chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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: Eb – Ab7 – Eb
The last chords are I – IV7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbAb7Eb
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb

What chords are in The Continental?

The loop is Fm – Bb7 – Eb – Fm (ii – V7 – I – ii) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Ab7 – Eb.

What key is The Continental in?

Eb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in The Continental?

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 The Continental 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.