Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play Ain’t It Heavy on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Ain’t It Heavy in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: A – E – B – A
Ain’t It Heavy 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; B is B, D# and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIVEIBVAIV
- AA · C# · E
- EE · G# · B
- BB · D# · F#
87 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll rocker
The left hand rocks between two shapes, straight out of the 1950s. Musicians call it rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 262 songs of the library.
Rock’n’roll rockerBoogie & shuffle · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Pop stabs
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Pop stabsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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 – Esus4 – E
The last chords are I – Isus – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EEsus4E
- Esus4E · A · B

What chords are in Ain’t It Heavy?

The loop is A – E – B – A (IV – I – V – IV) in E major, and the song ends on E – Esus4 – E.

What key is Ain’t It Heavy in?

E major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Ain’t It Heavy?

Rock’n’roll rocker: rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Ain’t It Heavy 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.