Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Tico Tico on piano
By Carmen Miranda
- C major
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- ii–V7–ii–V7 loop
- 1943
- Medium
Learn Tico Tico in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – G7 – Dm – G7
Tico Tico sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiiG7V7DmiiG7V7- DmD · F · A
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Tumble down
Three notes falling down the chord, one per beat, then a rest. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-1 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 635 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pinwheel
Three notes spin in a loop that keeps landing in new places. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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
- CC · E · G
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Questions about Tico Tico
What chords are in Tico Tico?
The loop is Dm – G7 – Dm – G7 (ii – V7 – ii – V7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Tico Tico in?
C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Tico Tico?
Tumble down: broken chord 8-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Tico Tico 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.