Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play 3X5 on piano
By John Mayer
- C minor
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- 2001
- Easy
Learn 3X5 in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Eb – Eb7 – Fm
3X5 sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmivEbIIIEb7III7Fmiv- FmF · Ab · C
- EbEb · G · Bb
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- 2
Left hand: Dip-and-back bounce
The root twice, a dip down on beat 3, and right back up on beat 4. Musicians call it broken chord 8-8-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 188 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 140 BPM
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: Ab – Bb – Cm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
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Questions about 3X5
What chords are in 3X5?
The loop is Fm – Eb – Eb7 – Fm (iv – bIII – bIII7 – iv) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is 3X5 in?
C minor, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in 3X5?
Dip-and-back bounce: broken chord 8-8-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is 3X5 easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.