Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Atlas on piano
By Coldplay
- F# minor
- 4/4
- 138 BPM
- 2013
- Medium
Learn Atlas in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bm – Bm – F# – F#
Atlas sits in F# minor: F# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bm is B, D and F#; F# is F#, A# and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BmivBmivF#IF#I- BmB · D · F#
- F#F# · A# · C#
- 2
Left hand: Giant steps
A full chord on every beat, low and heavy, like a giant walking. Musicians call it lh chords (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Rising chords
Up the chord and back in quick notes, gently lifting the song. 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- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
- F#mF# · A · C#
Play next
Questions about Atlas
What chords are in Atlas?
The loop is Bm – Bm – F# – F# (iv – I – iv – I) in F# minor, and the song ends on D – E – F#m.
What key is Atlas in?
F# minor, at about 138 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Atlas?
Giant steps: lh chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Atlas 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Atlas?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.