Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Apple on piano
Written by Pharrell Williams & Alicia Cook
- Bb minor
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 2016
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Apple in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bbm – Ab – Gb – Fm
How it goes
Apple sits in Bb minor: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Gb is Gb, Bb and Db; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbmiAbVIIGbVIFmv- BbmBb · Db · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
- GbGb · Bb · Db
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
How it goes
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 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: Gb – Ab – Bbm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbBbm
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Questions about Apple
What chords are in Apple?
The loop is Bbm – Ab – Gb – Fm (i – bVII – bVI – v) in Bb minor, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Bbm.
What key is Apple in?
Bb minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Apple?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Apple 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.