Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Witch Doctor on piano
Artist unknown
- Bb major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- I–V7–I–IV loop
- Medium
Learn Witch Doctor in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – F7 – Bb – Eb
Witch Doctor sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIF7V7BbIEbIV- BbBb · D · F
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Slow-down chords
Quick chords rush through the first half, then slow down to land on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: C7 – F7 – Bb
The last chords are II7 – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
C7F7Bb- C7C · E · G · Bb
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Questions about Witch Doctor
What chords are in Witch Doctor?
The loop is Bb – F7 – Bb – Eb (I – V7 – I – IV) in Bb major, and the song ends on C7 – F7 – Bb.
What key is Witch Doctor in?
Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Witch Doctor?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Witch Doctor 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.