Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Islands In The Stream on piano
By Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 1983
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Islands In The Stream in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – C – F
How it goes
Islands In The Stream sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVCIFIV- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Bubbly heartbeat
How it goes
Steady beats filled with quick little pickups around beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 173 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wake-and-run chords
How it goes
One long chord, then three quick ones running into the next bar. 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: C – Dm – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – ii – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDmC- DmD · F · A
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Questions about Islands In The Stream
What chords are in Islands In The Stream?
The loop is C – F – C – F (I – IV – I – IV) in C major, and the song ends on C – Dm – C.
What key is Islands In The Stream in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Islands In The Stream?
Bubbly heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Islands In The Stream 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.