Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Babe on piano
Written by Taylor Swift & Pat Monahan
- E major
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- I–IV–vi–V loop
- 2012
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Babe in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – A – C#m – B
How it goes
Babe sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; A is A, C# and E; C#m is C#, E and G#; B is B, D# and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIAIVC#mviBV- EE · G# · B
- AA · C# · E
- C#mC# · E · G#
- BB · D# · F#
- 2
Left hand: Fluttering heartbeat
How it goes
A quick flutter before beat 2, then a push before beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 152 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 92 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: A – B – E
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE
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Questions about Babe
What chords are in Babe?
The loop is E – A – C#m – B (I – IV – vi – V) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Babe in?
E major, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Babe?
Fluttering heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Babe 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.