Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play American Kids on piano
Written by Luke Laird, Shane McAnally & others
- G major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 2014
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn American Kids in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – G – C – G
How it goes
American Kids sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EVIGICIVGI- EE · G# · B
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
How it goes
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
How it goes
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about American Kids
What chords are in American Kids?
The loop is E – G – C – G (VI5 – I – IV5 – I5) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is American Kids in?
G major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in American Kids?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is American Kids 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.