Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Shine Your Light on piano
Written by Robbie Robertson
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 77 BPM
- IV–I–V–vi loop
- 2004
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Shine Your Light in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Bb – F – Gm
How it goes
Shine Your Light sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIVBbIFVGmvi- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Racing heartbeat
How it goes
One calm beat, then non-stop quick notes racing to the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 431 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
How it goes
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 77 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb
Play next
Questions about Shine Your Light
What chords are in Shine Your Light?
The loop is Eb – Bb – F – Gm (IV – I – V – vi) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Shine Your Light in?
Bb major, at about 77 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Shine Your Light?
Racing heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Shine Your 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.