Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s

How to play Between The Cheats on piano

Written by Amy Winehouse & Salaam Remi

Tuning the piano…
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Left hand Slow-dance heartbeatRight hand Slow-dance chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Between The Cheats in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: D – Bm – Em – A

    How it goes

    Between The Cheats sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; Bm is B, D and F#; Em is E, G and B; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    DIBmviEmiiAV
    • DD · F# · A
    • BmB · D · F#
    • EmE · G · B
    • AA · C# · E
    35 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat

    How it goes

    Four slow, deep beats under a swaying fifties ballad. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 134 songs of the library.

    Slow-dance heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · 50s doo-wopLeft handEasy
  3. 3

    Right hand: Slow-dance chords

    How it goes

    Four slow chords per bar under a swaying fifties ballad. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

    Slow-dance chordsSyncopated chords · 50s doo-wopRight handEasy
  4. 4

    Both hands at 84 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. 5

    Ending: Em – A – D

    How it goes

    The last chords are ii – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    EmAD

Play next

The same I–vi–ii–V loop

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Questions about Between The Cheats

What chords are in Between The Cheats?

The loop is D – Bm – Em – A (I – vi – ii – V) in D major, and the song ends on Em – A – D.

What key is Between The Cheats in?

D major, at about 84 beats a minute in 12/8.

What does the left hand play in Between The Cheats?

Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Between The Cheats 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.