Anything But Down Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Anything But Down in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: G – D – Am – G
How it goes
Anything But Down sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIDVAmiiGI
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- AmA · C · E
20 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Gear-shift chords
How it goes
Quick even chords that skip beat 3, like an engine changing gear. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Gear-shift chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 120 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG
- CC · E · G

What chords are in Anything But Down?

The loop is G – D – Am – G (I – V – ii – I) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.

What key is Anything But Down in?

G major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Anything But Down?

Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Anything But Down 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.