Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Avenir on piano
By Louane
- C minor
- 4/4
- 114 BPM
- 2015
- Easy
Learn Avenir in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Eb – Bb – Fm
Avenir sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiEbIIIBbVIIFmiv- CmC · Eb · G
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Seesaw bass
Low, higher, low, higher on every beat: a steady seesaw. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-1-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 481 songs of the library.
- 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.
- 4
Both hands at 114 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 Avenir
What chords are in Avenir?
The loop is Cm – Eb – Bb – Fm (i – bIII – bVII – iv) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is Avenir in?
C minor, at about 114 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Avenir?
Seesaw bass: root–fifth 1-5-1-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Avenir 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.