Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Problem on piano
By Pentatonix
- G minor
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 2014
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Problem in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – F – Bb – Eb
How it goes
Problem sits in G minor: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbVIFVIIBbIIIEbVI- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Tumbling heartbeat
How it goes
Quick notes tumble forward from the start and land on beat 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 112 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Eb – F – Gm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFGm- GmG · Bb · D
Play next
Questions about Problem
What chords are in Problem?
The loop is Eb – F – Bb – Eb (bVI – bVII – bIII – bVI) in G minor, and the song ends on Eb – F – Gm.
What key is Problem in?
G minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Problem?
Tumbling heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Problem 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.