Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play New Light on piano
Written by John Mayer & Ernest Wilson
- G major
- 4/4
- 124 BPM
- I–ii–V–I loop
- 2018
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn New Light in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – Am – D – G
How it goes
New Light sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIAmiiDVGI- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Double-skip footsteps
How it goes
Steady steps with two quick skips, one mid-bar and one at the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 397 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
How it goes
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 124 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: G – C – G
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GCG- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about New Light
What chords are in New Light?
The loop is G – Am – D – G (I – ii – V – I) in G major, and the song ends on G – C – G.
What key is New Light in?
G major, at about 124 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in New Light?
Double-skip footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is New Light 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.