Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Sugar on piano

Written by Adam Levine, Henry Walter & others

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Sugar in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: G – Bm7 – Bm – A7 – D
How it goes
Sugar sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: G is G, B and D; Bm7 is B, D, F# and A; Bm is B, D and F#; A7 is A, C#, E and G; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIVBm7vi7BmviA7V7DI
- GG · B · D
- Bm7B · D · F# · A
- BmB · D · F#
- A7A · C# · E · G
- DD · F# · A
2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Push chords
How it goes
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Push chordsSyncopated chords · RockRight 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: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD
- AA · C# · E

What chords are in Sugar?

The loop is G – Bm7 – Bm – A7 – D (IV – vi7 – vi – V7 – I) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.

What key is Sugar in?

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

What does the left hand play in Sugar?

Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Sugar easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Sugar?

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

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