Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Alligator Sky on piano
Written by Adam Young & Shawn Chrystopher
- D major
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- 2011
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Alligator Sky in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – Dsus4 – A – Em
How it goes
Alligator Sky sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Dsus4 is D, G and A; A is A, C# and E; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIVDsus4Isus4AVEmii- GG · B · D
- Dsus4D · G · A
- AA · C# · E
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Dance-floor chords
How it goes
Off-centre chords keep landing between the beats: a dance-floor groove. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 92 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: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- DD · F# · A
Questions about Alligator Sky
What chords are in Alligator Sky?
The loop is G – Dsus4 – A – Em (IV – Isus – V – ii) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Alligator Sky in?
D major, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Alligator Sky?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Alligator Sky 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.