Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play You’ll Find Your Happiness In Rio on piano

Written by Mel Brooks

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn You’ll Find Your Happiness In Rio in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Fm – Bbm – C7 – Fm
How it goes
You’ll Find Your Happiness In Rio sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Bbm is Bb, Db and F; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmviBbmiiC7III7Fmvi
- FmF · Ab · C
- BbmBb · Db · F
- C7C · E · G · Bb
12 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Push and land
How it goes
A push just before beat 3, then two calm landings. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Push and landRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Bouncy-ball chords
How it goes
One chord, then chords bouncing on every “and”, like a ball. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Bouncy-ball chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 138 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: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb

What chords are in You’ll Find Your Happiness In Rio?

The loop is Fm – Bbm – C7 – Fm (vi – ii – III7 – vi) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.

What key is You’ll Find Your Happiness In Rio in?

Ab major, at about 138 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in You’ll Find Your Happiness In Rio?

Push and land: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is You’ll Find Your Happiness In Rio 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.