When I Grow Too Old To Dream Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn When I Grow Too Old To Dream in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Db – Ab7 – Db – Ab7
How it goes
When I Grow Too Old To Dream sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIAb7V7DbIAb7V7
- DbDb · F · Ab
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
222 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Island pulse
How it goes
Three, three, two: the island rhythm in so many pop hits. Musicians call it root bass · tresillo 3-3-2 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Island pulseRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft 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 126 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: Gb – Ab – Db
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbDb
- GbGb · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb

What chords are in When I Grow Too Old To Dream?

The loop is Db – Ab7 – Db – Ab7 (I – V7 – I – V7) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.

What key is When I Grow Too Old To Dream in?

Db major, at about 126 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in When I Grow Too Old To Dream?

Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is When I Grow Too Old To Dream 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.