Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play 400 LUX on piano
Written by Ella Yelich-O’Connor & Joel Little
- D major
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- 2013
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn 400 LUX in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – D – F#m – G
How it goes
400 LUX sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A; F#m is F#, A and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIVDIF#miiiGIV- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- F#mF# · A · C#
- 2
Left hand: Eager heartbeat
How it goes
Jumps in early on the “and” before beat 3, like it can’t wait. Musicians call it root bass · pop push 1 · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 403 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Slow-down chords
How it goes
Quick chords rush through the first half, then slow down to land on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 92 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: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- AA · C# · E
Play next
Questions about 400 LUX
What chords are in 400 LUX?
The loop is G – D – F#m – G (IV – I – iii – IV) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is 400 LUX in?
D major, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in 400 LUX?
Eager heartbeat: root bass · pop push 1 · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is 400 LUX 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.