Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Slow It Down on piano
- C major
- 2/2
- 130 BPM
- I–IV–vi–V loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Slow It Down in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – Am – G
How it goes
Slow It Down sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C; Am is A, C and E; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVAmviGV- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- AmA · C · E
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Busy rocking
How it goes
A low root, then quick notes rocking between two higher keys. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5 (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 200 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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: Am – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are vi – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AmGC
Play next
Questions about Slow It Down
What chords are in Slow It Down?
The loop is C – F – Am – G (I – IV – vi – V) in C major, and the song ends on Am – G – C.
What key is Slow It Down in?
C major, at about 130 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Slow It Down?
Busy rocking: broken chord 1-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Slow It Down 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.