Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Beat It on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Beat It in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: D#m – C# – D#m – C#
Beat It sits in D# minor: D# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D#m is D#, F# and A#; C# is C#, E# and G#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D#miC#VIID#miC#VII
- D#mD# · F# · A#
- C#C# · E# · G#
50 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Pausing footsteps
Three even steps, then a quiet beat to breathe. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Pausing footstepsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Freeze-tag chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight 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: B – C# – D#m
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BC#D#m
- BB · D# · F#

What chords are in Beat It?

The loop is D#m – C# – D#m – C# (i – VII – i – VII) in D# minor, and the song ends on B – C# – D#m.

What key is Beat It in?

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

What does the left hand play in Beat It?

Pausing footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Beat It 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.

Can I hear the real melody of Beat It?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.