Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play American Idiot on piano
Artist unknown
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- Medium
Learn American Idiot in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Gb – Db – Ab
American Idiot sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Gb is Gb, Bb and Db; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIVGbbVIIDbIVAbI- DbDb · F · Ab
- GbGb · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Gear-shift pulse
Quick even notes that skip beat 3, like an engine changing gear. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 181 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Gear-shift chords
Quick even chords that skip beat 3, like an engine changing gear. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: Gb – Db – Ab
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbDbAb
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Questions about American Idiot
What chords are in American Idiot?
The loop is Db – Gb – Db – Ab (IV5 – bVII5 – IV5 – I5) in Ab major, and the song ends on Gb – Db – Ab.
What key is American Idiot in?
Ab major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in American Idiot?
Gear-shift pulse: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is American Idiot 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.