Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play America, The Beautiful on piano
By Katharine Lee Bates
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 110 BPM
- Easy
Learn America, The Beautiful in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Edim – Bb – Gm
America, The Beautiful sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Edim is E, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIVEdim#iv°BbIGmvi- EbEb · G · Bb
- EdimE · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Push-and-land chords
A push just before beat 3, then two calm landings. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 110 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: Eb – F – Bb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- FF · A · C
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Questions about America, The Beautiful
What chords are in America, The Beautiful?
The loop is Eb – Edim – Bb – Gm (IV – #ivo – I – vi) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is America, The Beautiful in?
Bb major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in America, The Beautiful?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is America, The Beautiful 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 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.