Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play Anchor on piano
By Ben Fielding & Dean Ussher
- E major
- 4/4
- 72 BPM
- 2013
- Tricky
Learn Anchor in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C#m – E – A – Bsus4
Anchor sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C#m is C#, E and G#; E is E, G# and B; A is A, C# and E; Bsus4 is B, E and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C#mviEIAIVBsus4Vsus4- C#mC# · E · G#
- EE · G# · B
- AA · C# · E
- Bsus4B · E · F#
- 2
Left hand: Thunder tremolo
An octave shaking fast: thunder and suspense. Musicians call it octave tremolo (tremolo), a tricky pattern heard in 150 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 72 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- BB · D# · F#
Play next
Questions about Anchor
What chords are in Anchor?
The loop is C#m – E – A – Bsus4 (vi – I – IV – Vsus) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Anchor in?
E major, at about 72 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Anchor?
Thunder tremolo: octave tremolo, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Anchor easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.