Piano For Dummies
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The band is building up to the final chord, and it’s time for the big finish. The singer belts the last lyric, and it’s up to you to drop the curtain. Quick! Grab a handful of these finales and you’re sure to receive an encore request.

The “I Loved You, You Left Me” finale

The “I Loved You, You Left Me” finale

This finale is a simple but effective ending, perhaps even a tear-jerker when played with the right emotion. You certainly wouldn’t want to use this as an end to a rocking song like “Burning Down the House,” but it fits nicely with any major-key ballad.

The “Let’s Load Up the Bus” finale

The “Let’s Load Up the Bus” finale

After a classic rock hand-jam, something like the finale you see here finishes the song with the appropriate amount of flair. The triplets take you down the C blues scale. They should be played as smoothly as possible, so feel free to slow down the tempo until you conquer the correct fingering. And make sure to really punch that last chord!

The “Last Call” finale

The “Last Call” finale

The triplets in this finale give this closer a distinctive feel that works best with a blues or jazz piece. It has the sound of winding down to a halt.

In this finale, you play the notes of chords C, Cdim., Dm7, and C again. You can easily transpose and attach this finale to a song in any key by applying the correct chord types and breaking them up. For example, in the key of G, the chords are G, Gdim., Am7, and G.

The “Shave and a Haircut” finale

The “Shave and a Haircut” finale

Everyone knows it. Everyone loves it. This is the ever-famous “Shave and a Haircut” closer. You can play this finale with unison octaves, so the name of each scale note is indicated in the middle of the grand staff. With this information, you can have a shave and a haircut in the key of your choice.

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