Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Aftermath on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Aftermath in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: D – E – F#m – E
Aftermath sits in F# minor: F# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; 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.
DVIEVIIF#miEVII
- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
- F#mF# · A · C#
16 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Hop-skip heartbeat
Three steps, then a quick hop that skips right over beat 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 250 songs of the library.
Hop-skip heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Steady chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 72 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: D – E – F#m
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEF#m

What chords are in Aftermath?

The loop is D – E – F#m – E (bVI – bVII – i – bVII) in F# minor, and the song ends on D – E – F#m.

What key is Aftermath in?

F# minor, at about 72 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Aftermath?

Hop-skip heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Aftermath 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.