Pinball Wizard Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Pinball Wizard in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Bsus4 – B – Bsus4 – B
How it goes
Pinball Wizard sits in B major: B is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bsus4 is B, E and F#; B is B, D# and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bsus4Isus4BIBsus4Isus4BI
- Bsus4B · E · F#
- BB · D# · F#
37 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Engine 8thsRoot bass rhythm · RockLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Somersault chords
How it goes
Evenly spaced chords roll across the beats, then flip into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Somersault chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 134 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: B – Bsus4 – B
How it goes
The last chords are I – Isus – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BBsus4B

What chords are in Pinball Wizard?

The loop is Bsus4 – B – Bsus4 – B (Isus – I – Isus – I) in B major, and the song ends on B – Bsus4 – B.

What key is Pinball Wizard in?

B major, at about 134 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Pinball Wizard?

Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Pinball Wizard 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.