Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play A Whole Nation on piano
- C major
- 2/2
- 156 BPM
- 2007
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn A Whole Nation in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – C – Bb – Am
How it goes
A Whole Nation sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; C is C, E and G; Bb is Bb, D and F; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiiCIBbbVIIAmvi- DmD · F · A
- CC · E · G
- BbBb · D · F
- AmA · C · E
- 2
Left hand: Drowsy heartbeat
How it goes
Two slow notes, then a late one that slips in before the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 889 songs of the library.
- 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
Both hands at 156 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
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Questions about A Whole Nation
What chords are in A Whole Nation?
The loop is Dm – C – Bb – Am (ii – I – bVII – vi) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is A Whole Nation in?
C major, at about 156 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in A Whole Nation?
Drowsy heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is A Whole Nation 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.