Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Bad Idea on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Bad Idea in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: D – Em – C – D
Bad Idea sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; Em is E, G and B; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DVIIEmiCVIDVII
- DD · F# · A
- EmE · G · B
- CC · E · G
14 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Lub-dub heartbeat
Two quick beats, a pause, two quick beats: just like a real heart. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 3 · 3& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 294 songs of the library.
Lub-dub heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Pausing chords
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Pausing chordsBlock chords · ClassicalRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 135 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: C – D – Em
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm

What chords are in Bad Idea?

The loop is D – Em – C – D (bVII – i – bVI – bVII) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.

What key is Bad Idea in?

E minor, at about 135 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Bad Idea?

Lub-dub heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1& · 3 · 3&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Bad Idea 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.