Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play And She Was on piano
Written by David Byrne
- E major
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- IV–I–IV–I loop
- 1985
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn And She Was in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – E – A – E
How it goes
And She Was sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIVEIAIVEI- AA · C# · E
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Racing heartbeat
How it goes
One calm beat, then non-stop quick notes racing to the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 431 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Deep-breath chords
How it goes
A breath on beat 1, then quick chords pumping to the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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: D – A – E
How it goes
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DAE- DD · F# · A
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Questions about And She Was
What chords are in And She Was?
The loop is A – E – A – E (IV – I – IV – I) in E major, and the song ends on D – A – E.
What key is And She Was in?
E major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in And She Was?
Racing heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is And She Was 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.