Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Beautiful on piano
By Akon featuring Colby O'Donis & Kardinal Offishall
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 134 BPM
- vi–IV–I–V loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Beautiful in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Ab – Eb – Bb
How it goes
Beautiful sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmviAbIVEbIBbV- CmC · Eb · G
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Pony-trot pulse
How it goes
Quick trotting notes, then a jump over beat 3 to its “and”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 114 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
How it goes
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 134 BPM
How it goes
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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb
Play next
Questions about Beautiful
What chords are in Beautiful?
The loop is Cm – Ab – Eb – Bb (vi – IV – I – V) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Beautiful in?
Eb major, at about 134 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Beautiful?
Pony-trot pulse: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Beautiful 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.