Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s

How to play Anthem on piano

By Leonard Cohen

  • Db major
  • 12/8
  • 64 BPM
  • Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Slow-dance heartbeatRight hand Slow-dance chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Learn Anthem in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

  1. 1

    Chords: G7 – Ab7 – C – Db

    Anthem sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb; C is C, E and G; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    G7#IV7Ab7V7CVIIDbI
    • G7G · B · D · F
    • Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
    • CC · E · G
    • DbDb · F · Ab
  2. 2

    Left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat

    Four slow, deep beats under a swaying fifties ballad. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 134 songs of the library.

    Slow-dance heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · 50s doo-wopLeft handEasy
  3. 3

    Right hand: Slow-dance chords

    Four slow chords per bar under a swaying fifties ballad. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

    Slow-dance chordsSyncopated chords · 50s doo-wopRight handEasy
  4. 4

    Both hands at 64 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. 5

    Ending: Gb – Ab – Db

    The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    GbAbDb
    • GbGb · Bb · Db
    • AbAb · C · Eb

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Questions about Anthem

What chords are in Anthem?

The loop is G7 – Ab7 – C – Db (#IV7 – V7 – VII – I) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.

What key is Anthem in?

Db major, at about 64 beats a minute in 12/8.

What does the left hand play in Anthem?

Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Anthem 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.