Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play The Girl From Ipanema (Garota De Ipanema) on piano
- Db major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 1963
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Girl From Ipanema (Garota De Ipanema) in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb7 – Eb7 – Gbmaj7 – Ab – Ab – Db
How it goes
The Girl From Ipanema (Garota De Ipanema) sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; Gbmaj7 is Gb, Bb, Db and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Eb7II7Eb7II7Gbmaj7IVmaj7AbVAbVDbI- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- Gbmaj7Gb · Bb · Db · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleep-in chords
How it goes
Quiet for half the bar, then three chords wake up near the end. 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: Gb – Ab – Db
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbDb- GbGb · Bb · Db
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Questions about The Girl From Ipanema (Garota De Ipanema)
What chords are in The Girl From Ipanema (Garota De Ipanema)?
The loop is Eb7 – Eb7 – Gbmaj7 – Ab – Ab – Db (II7 – IVmaj7 – V – I – II7 – IVmaj7) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.
What key is The Girl From Ipanema (Garota De Ipanema) in?
Db major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Girl From Ipanema (Garota De Ipanema)?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Girl From Ipanema (Garota De Ipanema) easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of The Girl From Ipanema (Garota De Ipanema)?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 6 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.