Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play Barracuda on piano
By Heart
- E minor
- 4/4
- 136 BPM
- 1977
- Tricky
Learn Barracuda in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – F# – G – A
Barracuda sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; F# is F#, A# and C#; G is G, B and D; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIF#IIGIIIAIV- EE · G# · B
- F#F# · A# · C#
- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Thunder tremolo
An octave shaking fast: thunder and suspense. Musicians call it octave tremolo (tremolo), a tricky pattern heard in 150 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 136 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- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- EmE · G · B
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Questions about Barracuda
What chords are in Barracuda?
The loop is E – F# – G – A (I5 – II5 – bIII5 – IV5) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Barracuda in?
E minor, at about 136 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Barracuda?
Thunder tremolo: octave tremolo, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Barracuda easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.