Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Alabama on piano
By Neil Young
- C major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 1971
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Alabama in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – G – Em – F
How it goes
Alabama sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; G is G, B and D; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIVGVEmiiiFIV- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Late-hop footsteps
How it goes
Steady low-high steps with one quick extra hop after beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 659 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about Alabama
What chords are in Alabama?
The loop is F – G – Em – F (IV – V – iii – IV) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Alabama in?
C major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Alabama?
Late-hop footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Alabama 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.