Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Almost Home on piano

By Mary Chapin Carpenter

  • Bb major
  • 4/4
  • 100 BPM
  • 1999
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Left hand Hiccup heartbeatThe right hand sings the tuneChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Almost Home in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: F – Bb – Eb – Gm

    How it goes

    Almost Home sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    FVBbIEbIVGmvi
    • FF · A · C
    • BbBb · D · F
    • EbEb · G · Bb
    • GmG · Bb · D
  2. 2

    Left hand: Hiccup heartbeat

    How it goes

    A tiny hiccup just before beat 3, then a push on the “and”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 121 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: the chords, held

    How it goes

    In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 100 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. 5

    Ending: Gm – Eb – Bb

    How it goes

    The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    GmEbBb

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Questions about Almost Home

What chords are in Almost Home?

The loop is F – Bb – Eb – Gm (V – I – IV – vi) in Bb major, and the song ends on Gm – Eb – Bb.

What key is Almost Home in?

Bb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Almost Home?

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

Is Almost Home 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.