Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Big Star on piano
Written by Stephony Smith
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 2000
- Medium
Learn Big Star in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – C – F
Big Star sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVCIFIV- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Tiptoe heartbeat
One firm note, then three tiptoe steps between the beats. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3& · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 245 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Groovy chords
Chords jump around the “ands” for a funky, dancing feel. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: C – F – C
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CFC
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Questions about Big Star
What chords are in Big Star?
The loop is C – F – C – F (I – IV – I – IV) in C major, and the song ends on C – F – C.
What key is Big Star in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Big Star?
Tiptoe heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3& · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Big Star 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.