Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

How to play A Better Man on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn A Better Man in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: A – E – F#m – E
A Better Man sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; E is E, G# and B; F#m is F#, A and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIVEIF#miiEI
- AA · C# · E
- EE · G# · B
- F#mF# · A · C#
53 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Double-tap drop
The same note twice, long then short, then a drop to a lower note. Musicians call it broken chord 8-8-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 336 songs of the library.
Double-tap dropBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
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.
Wait-a-beat chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 152 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: E – B – E
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EBE
- BB · D# · F#

What chords are in A Better Man?

The loop is A – E – F#m – E (IV – I – ii – I) in E major, and the song ends on E – B – E.

What key is A Better Man in?

E major, at about 152 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in A Better Man?

Double-tap drop: broken chord 8-8-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is A Better Man 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.