Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Angel on piano
Written by Jimi Hendrix
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 66 BPM
- 1972
- Medium
Learn Angel in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cb – Ab – Db – Bb
Angel sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cb is Cb, Eb and Gb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Db is Db, F and Ab; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CbbVIAbIVDbbVIIBbV- CbCb · Eb · Gb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 66 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Angel
What chords are in Angel?
The loop is Cb – Ab – Db – Bb (bVI – IV – bVII – V) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Angel in?
Eb major, at about 66 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Angel?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Angel 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.