Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play The Lion Sleeps Tonight on piano
Written by George Weiss, Hugo Peretti & others
- F major
- 2/2
- 128 BPM
- I–IV–I–V7 loop
- 1961
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Lion Sleeps Tonight in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – Bb – F – C7
How it goes
The Lion Sleeps Tonight sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIBbIVFIC7V7- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Drowsy heartbeat
How it goes
Two slow notes, then a late one that slips in before the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 889 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 128 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 – Bb – F
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FBbF
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Questions about The Lion Sleeps Tonight
What chords are in The Lion Sleeps Tonight?
The loop is F – Bb – F – C7 (I – IV – I – V7) in F major, and the song ends on F – Bb – F.
What key is The Lion Sleeps Tonight in?
F major, at about 128 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in The Lion Sleeps Tonight?
Drowsy heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Lion Sleeps Tonight 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.