Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Guiding Light on piano

By Mumford & Sons

  • G major
  • 4/4
  • 100 BPM
  • 2018
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Heartbeat octavesRight hand Offbeat skankChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Guiding Light in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: G – D – C – G

    How it goes

    Guiding Light sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    GIDVCIVGI
    • GG · B · D
    • DD · F# · A
    • CC · E · G
  2. 2

    Left hand: Heartbeat octaves

    How it goes

    Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Offbeat skank

    How it goes

    Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 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. 5

    Ending: Em – D – G

    How it goes

    The last chords are vi – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    EmDG
    • EmE · G · B

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Questions about Guiding Light

What chords are in Guiding Light?

The loop is G – D – C – G (I5 – V – IV – I5) in G major, and the song ends on Em – D – G.

What key is Guiding Light in?

G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Guiding Light?

Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Guiding Light 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.