August Winds Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn August Winds in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: D – E – D – E
August Winds sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIEIIDIEII
- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
15 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Open sky
Root, fifth, then a high third: open and airy, the sound of a big sky. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 918 songs of the library.
Open skyOpen arpeggio · BalladLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Offbeat skankOffbeat chords · Blues and boogie-woogieRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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: G – A – D
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD
- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E

What chords are in August Winds?

The loop is D – E – D – E (I – II – I – II) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.

What key is August Winds in?

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

What does the left hand play in August Winds?

Open sky: open arpeggio 1-5-10, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is August Winds 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.