Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Exhale (Shoop Shoop) on piano

By Whitney Houston

Tuning the piano…
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Left hand Sneaky heartbeatRight hand Ticking clockChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Exhale (Shoop Shoop) in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: F – C – Dm – C

    How it goes

    Exhale (Shoop Shoop) sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    FIVCIDmiiCI
    • FF · A · C
    • CC · E · G
    • DmD · F · A
    53 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Sneaky heartbeat

    How it goes

    One strong note, then two sneaky ones hiding between the beats. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 436 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Ticking clock

    How it goes

    One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 70 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. 5

    Ending: C – F – C

    How it goes

    The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    CFC

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Questions about Exhale (Shoop Shoop)

What chords are in Exhale (Shoop Shoop)?

The loop is F – C – Dm – C (IV – I – ii – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – F – C.

What key is Exhale (Shoop Shoop) in?

C major, at about 70 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Exhale (Shoop Shoop)?

Sneaky heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2& · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Exhale (Shoop Shoop) 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.