Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play You Want It Darker on piano
- E minor
- 4/4
- 60 BPM
- 2015
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn You Want It Darker in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – Am – Em – G
How it goes
You Want It Darker sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIIIAmivEmiGIII- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Velvet jazz
How it goes
Two soft notes on each beat: the cozy colour of old jazz ballads. Musicians call it lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
How it goes
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 60 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 – D – Em
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about You Want It Darker
What chords are in You Want It Darker?
The loop is G – Am – Em – G (bIII – iv – i – bIII) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is You Want It Darker in?
E minor, at about 60 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in You Want It Darker?
Velvet jazz: lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is You Want It Darker easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.