Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play The Piccolino on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn The Piccolino in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: D – C – D – C
How it goes
The Piccolino sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DICbVIIDICbVII
- DD · F# · A
- CC · E · G
90 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Jazz walk
How it goes
One note per beat, strolling like a jazz bassist. Musicians call it walking bass (walking bass), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Jazz walkWalking bass · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Wait-a-beat chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
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: D – C – D
How it goes
The last chords are I – bVII – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DCD

What chords are in The Piccolino?

The loop is D – C – D – C (I – bVII – I – bVII) in D major, and the song ends on D – C – D.

What key is The Piccolino in?

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

What does the left hand play in The Piccolino?

Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is The Piccolino 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.

Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.