Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Three Little Words on piano
By Bert Kalmar
- C major
- 2/2
- 100 BPM
- 1930
- Easy
Learn Three Little Words in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G7 – C – Ebm – D#dim
Three Little Words sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G; Ebm is Eb, Gb and Bb; D#dim is D#, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G7V7CIEbmbiiiD#dimbiii°- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- EbmEb · Gb · Bb
- D#dimD# · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Happy wiggle
Root, fifth, a step up and back: a cheerful bluesy wiggle. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-6-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 165 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Three Little Words
What chords are in Three Little Words?
The loop is G7 – C – Ebm – D#dim (V7 – I – biii – biiio) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Three Little Words in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Three Little Words?
Happy wiggle: broken chord 1-5-6-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Three Little Words 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.