Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Beautiful on piano
By Christina Aguilera & Beverly McClellan
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 74 BPM
- 2002
- Medium
Learn Beautiful in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Fm7 – Eb – Cm
Beautiful sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Fm7 is F, Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIVFm7ii7EbICmvi- AbAb · C · Eb
- Fm7F · Ab · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 74 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Beautiful
What chords are in Beautiful?
The loop is Ab – Fm7 – Eb – Cm (IV – ii7 – I – vi) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Beautiful in?
Eb major, at about 74 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Beautiful?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Beautiful?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part 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.