Nathaniel School of Music

How to Play Linus and Lucy on Piano – Full Tutorial (Including Solos)

To play Linus and Lucy on piano, learn the Ab major I, IV and V chords (Ab, Db, Eb) in a 3-5-octave-9 horn-thirds shape for the right hand, set them over a legato bass line that anticipates each downbeat, then add 3-b7-9 ninth voicings for the salsa and jazz solo sections.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 38 min

Can't see the video? Watch it on YouTube.

Key points

This lesson walks through the whole of Vince Guaraldi's Linus and Lucy from A Charlie Brown Christmas, arranged for solo piano by Jason Zac. It covers the main Peanuts theme, the turnaround, the salsa-style bridge, the jazz solo with a walking bass line, and the outro lick. It suits keen beginners who want only the main theme, and intermediate to advanced players who want the solos.

The Core Theory

The piece is in Ab major, which has four flats: Bb, Eb, Ab and Db. Most of the song uses the primary chords: I = Ab, IV = Db and V = Eb. It also uses a few non-diatonic dominant chords.

The horn-thirds shape

Each primary chord is played in a right-hand shape made of the 3rd, 5th, root (octave), 9th, then the 3rd doubled on top. On Ab that is C, Eb, Ab, Bb, C. You play it with alternating fingers, rocking between the lower and upper notes. This gives you the famous pattern, and it also works well as a finger exercise. Practise the same shape on Db and Eb.

The ninth-chord voicing

For the bridge and the jazz solo, the ninth chords use a 3, b7, 9 voicing:

It is called a ninth rather than an add2 because the b7 is present. For an even spicier sound, put a bass note a tritone away from the root. For example, the Db9 shape over G sounds like a G chord with a 3rd, b7 and #5. It is still a tense, dominant sound.

Stride with the pedal

A ninth voicing sounds muddy if you play it low, but it has no bass if you play it high. The fix is a stride approach. Hold the sustain pedal, play the root low, then jump up and play the voicing in the middle of the keyboard.

The Bass Line and Main Theme

The left hand almost never plays on beat one, except at the very start. Instead it anticipates each bar by landing on the and of beat four. Count 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and out loud as you play. Keep the line legato with no rests.

Over Ab, the bass moves through the root, fifth and sixth, and for variety it uses the octave and sixth. The pattern then repeats on another chord.

The tune also starts on an offbeat. Sing it before you play it. Snapping your fingers on the offbeats helps you feel the groove. Then play the melody in horn thirds, and bring the hands together slowly.

The Turnaround

The tricky moment is a grace-note slide from E to F. Don't use the pedal here, and keep the dissonant E as quiet as possible.

Add an F pickup before the bars, and an Eb pickup before returning to the head. While the left hand plays the bass line, the right hand can hold a semibreve. The section ends Eb to Ab. Pause on Ab with a short, choked accent before the bridge.

The Salsa Bridge

Here the left hand plays the root low and then the ninth voicing, mostly in a tresillo rhythm counted in semiquavers (1 e and a). Meanwhile the right hand plays horn-third lines.

The chords move through C9, Db, Eb and a passing D9. There is also a suspension on an Eb cluster. Keep your hand in one shape and let the wrist do the work.

The Jazz Solo and Walking Bass

Listen to the original first. The solo shifts from straight to swing, and the swing feel is personal to the trio.

The walking bass is very chromatic, so keep your fingers close together. Get one hand into muscle memory before combining them.

Near the end, the bass approaches the ninth chords chromatically: C, Db, D, then Eb. It then resolves to Ab, because Eb is the V of Ab.

The Outro Lick

The ending is a horn-thirds lick on Ab, repeated. On its third time, it lands on beat one with the bass. Finish on a long Ab chord with the pedal ringing.

How to Practise

  1. Drill the horn-thirds shape on Ab, Db and Eb.
  2. Count the anticipated bass line hands separately.
  3. Sing the tune, then combine the hands slowly.
  4. Learn each solo four bars at a time.

Questions about this lesson

What key is Linus and Lucy in?

It is in Ab major, which has four flats: Bb, Eb, Ab and Db. The main chords are Ab (I), Db (IV) and Eb (V).

What are horn thirds in Linus and Lucy?

Horn thirds is an informal name for the right-hand chord shape built from the 3rd, 5th, octave and 9th, with the 3rd doubled. You play it with alternating fingers to create the famous rocking pattern.

Why does the Linus and Lucy bass sound off the beat?

The bass almost never plays on beat one. It anticipates each bar by landing on the and of beat four, which gives the song its syncopated bounce.

How do I play ninth chords without losing the bass on solo piano?

Use a 3-b7-9 voicing, such as G, Db, F for Eb9. Hold the sustain pedal, play the root low, then jump up to the voicing in stride style.

Practise it

Related lessons