The Joint Is Jumpin' Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn The Joint Is Jumpin' in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Bb – Bdim – Cm – F7
The Joint Is Jumpin' sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Bdim is B, D and F; Cm is C, Eb and G; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIBdimbii°CmiiF7V7
- BbBb · D · F
- BdimB · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
- F7F · A · C · Eb
32 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Lazy footstepsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Hand-clap chords
Rests on beat 1, then clap-clap on 2 and one more clap on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Hand-clap chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 160 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: C7 – F7 – Bb
The last chords are II7 – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
C7F7Bb
- C7C · E · G · Bb

What chords are in The Joint Is Jumpin'?

The loop is Bb – Bdim – Cm – F7 (I – biio – ii – V7) in Bb major, and the song ends on C7 – F7 – Bb.

What key is The Joint Is Jumpin' in?

Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in The Joint Is Jumpin'?

Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is The Joint Is Jumpin' 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.