Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Over My Head on piano
Written by Joseph King & Isaac Slade
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 118 BPM
- IV–vi–I–IV loop
- 2005
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Over My Head in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Fm – Ab – Db
How it goes
Over My Head sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Fm is F, Ab and C; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIVFmviAbIDbIV- DbDb · F · Ab
- FmF · Ab · C
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
How it goes
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of 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 118 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: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Over My Head
What chords are in Over My Head?
The loop is Db – Fm – Ab – Db (IV – vi – I – IV) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Over My Head in?
Ab major, at about 118 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Over My Head?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Over My Head 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.