Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play The Entertainer on piano
By Scott Joplin
- C major
- 2/4
- 70 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Entertainer in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – G7 – C
How it goes
The Entertainer sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVG7V7CI- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Ragtime bounce
How it goes
Quick bass-chord-bass-chord: the bouncy left hand of ragtime. Musicians call it boom-chick (2/4) (stride & boom-chick), a medium pattern heard in 137 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Marching chords
How it goes
Two chords per bar, left-right, like a happy little march. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 70 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
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Questions about The Entertainer
What chords are in The Entertainer?
The loop is C – F – G7 – C (I – IV – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is The Entertainer in?
C major, at about 70 beats a minute in 2/4.
What does the left hand play in The Entertainer?
Ragtime bounce: boom-chick (2/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Entertainer 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.
Can I hear the real melody of The Entertainer?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.