Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Battles on piano
By Hudson Taylor
- G major
- 4/4
- 128 BPM
- vi–IV–vi–IV loop
- Medium
Learn Battles in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – C – Em – C
Battles sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: 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.
EmviCIVEmviCIV- EmE · G · B
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Groovy roots
Notes jump around the “ands”, giving the bass a funky bounce. Musicians call it root bass · syncopated 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 363 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 128 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 – G
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
Play next
Questions about Battles
What chords are in Battles?
The loop is Em – C – Em – C (vi – IV – vi – IV) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Battles in?
G major, at about 128 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Battles?
Groovy roots: root bass · syncopated 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Battles 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.