Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Animal City on piano
By Shakira
- F# minor
- 4/4
- 138 BPM
- 2005
- Easy
Learn Animal City in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F#m – D – C# – F#m
Animal City sits in F# minor: F# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F#m is F#, A and C#; D is D, F# and A; C# is C#, E# and G#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F#miDVIC#VF#mi- F#mF# · A · C#
- DD · F# · A
- C#C# · E# · G#
- 2
Left hand: Eager heartbeat
Jumps in early on the “and” before beat 3, like it can’t wait. Musicians call it root bass · pop push 1 · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 403 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 138 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: D – E – F#m
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEF#m- EE · G# · B
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Questions about Animal City
What chords are in Animal City?
The loop is F#m – D – C# – F#m (i – bVI – V – i) in F# minor, and the song ends on D – E – F#m.
What key is Animal City in?
F# minor, at about 138 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Animal City?
Eager heartbeat: root bass · pop push 1 · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Animal City easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.