Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Shake It Out on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Shake It Out in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: F – Gm – F – F – Gm – Bb – Dm7
How it goes
Shake It Out sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: F is F, A and C; Gm is G, Bb and D; Bb is Bb, D and F; Dm7 is D, F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIGmiiFIFIGmiiBbIVDm7vi7
- FF · A · C
- GmG · Bb · D
- BbBb · D · F
- Dm7D · F · A · C
176 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Hurry-and-wait pulse
How it goes
Three quick notes rush out early, then the bass waits for the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 336 songs of the library.
Hurry-and-wait pulseRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Steady chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF
- CC · E · G

What chords are in Shake It Out?

The loop is F – Gm – F – F – Gm – Bb – Dm7 (I – ii – I – ii – IV – vi7 – I) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.

What key is Shake It Out in?

F major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Shake It Out?

Hurry-and-wait pulse: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Shake It Out easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 7 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Shake It Out?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.