Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play When Lights Are Low on piano
By Benny Carter
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- I–ii–I–ii loop
- 1936
- Easy
Learn When Lights Are Low in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Fm – Eb – Fm
When Lights Are Low sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIFmiiEbIFmii- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Stride jumps
Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about When Lights Are Low
What chords are in When Lights Are Low?
The loop is Eb – Fm – Eb – Fm (I – ii – I – ii) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is When Lights Are Low in?
Eb major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in When Lights Are Low?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is When Lights Are Low 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.