Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Atmosphere on piano
By Kaskade
- C minor
- 4/4
- 122 BPM
- 2013
- Medium
Learn Atmosphere in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Bb – Cm – Eb
Atmosphere sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIIIBbVIICmiEbIII- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Rocking thirds
Two neighbouring chord notes rocking back and forth, soft and sweet. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 122 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: Ab – Bb – Cm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm- AbAb · C · Eb
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Questions about Atmosphere
What chords are in Atmosphere?
The loop is Eb – Bb – Cm – Eb (bIII – bVII – i – bIII) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is Atmosphere in?
C minor, at about 122 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Atmosphere?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Atmosphere 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.