Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play An Operatic Tragedy on piano
Written by Jason Howland
- E major
- 4/4
- 150 BPM
- 2005
- Medium
Learn An Operatic Tragedy in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F#m – Bsus4 – E – C
An Operatic Tragedy sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F#m is F#, A and C#; Bsus4 is B, E and F#; E is E, G# and B; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F#miiBsus4Vsus4EICbVI- F#mF# · A · C#
- Bsus4B · E · F#
- EE · G# · B
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Island pulse
Three, three, two: the island rhythm in so many pop hits. Musicians call it root bass · tresillo 3-3-2 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 150 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: A – B – E
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE- AA · C# · E
- BB · D# · F#
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Questions about An Operatic Tragedy
What chords are in An Operatic Tragedy?
The loop is F#m – Bsus4 – E – C (ii – Vsus – I – bVI) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is An Operatic Tragedy in?
E major, at about 150 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in An Operatic Tragedy?
Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is An Operatic Tragedy 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.