Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Back In Black on piano
By Ac/Dc
- E major
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- 1980
- Medium
Learn Back In Black in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – D – A – C
Back In Black sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIDbVIIAIVCbVI- EE · G# · B
- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Drumming bass
The root drummed on every quick beat, with a tiny step at the end. Musicians call it broken chord 1-1 (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 263 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Funky-chicken chords
Chords dodge almost every beat in tricky quick spots: pure funk. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 92 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: E – A – E
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EAE
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Questions about Back In Black
What chords are in Back In Black?
The loop is E – D – A – C (I5 – bVII5 – IV5 – bVI) in E major, and the song ends on E – A – E.
What key is Back In Black in?
E major, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Back In Black?
Drumming bass: broken chord 1-1, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Back In Black 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.