Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play The Dock Of The Bay on piano
By Otis Redding
- G major
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- 1967
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Dock Of The Bay in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – B – C – B
How it goes
The Dock Of The Bay sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; B is B, D# and F#; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIBIIICIVBIII- GG · B · D
- BB · D# · F#
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Bossa seesaw
How it goes
Low-low, high-high in a laid-back Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-1-5-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 428 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 92 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- DD · F# · A
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Questions about The Dock Of The Bay
What chords are in The Dock Of The Bay?
The loop is G – B – C – B (I – III – IV – III) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is The Dock Of The Bay in?
G major, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Dock Of The Bay?
Bossa seesaw: root–fifth 1-1-5-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Dock Of The Bay 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.