Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Best Laid Plans on piano
By James Blunt
- F minor
- 4/4
- 76 BPM
- 2010
- Easy
Learn Best Laid Plans in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Cm – Db – Ab
Best Laid Plans sits in F minor: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Cm is C, Eb and G; Db is Db, F and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmiCmvDbVIAbIII- FmF · Ab · C
- CmC · Eb · G
- DbDb · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Sleepy heartbeat
One long note, then a soft double tap in the second half. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 3& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 314 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 76 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: Db – Eb – Fm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbFm- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Best Laid Plans
What chords are in Best Laid Plans?
The loop is Fm – Cm – Db – Ab (i – v – bVI – bIII) in F minor, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Fm.
What key is Best Laid Plans in?
F minor, at about 76 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Best Laid Plans?
Sleepy heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 3 · 3&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Best Laid Plans 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.