Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Bitter Green on piano

By Gordon Lightfoot

Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Heartbeat octavesThe right hand sings the tuneChords the loop the song repeats most

Learn Bitter Green in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: C – F – Bb – C

    Bitter Green sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    CVFIBbIVCV
    • CC · E · G
    • FF · A · C
    • BbBb · D · F
    87 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Heartbeat octaves

    Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.

  3. 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. 4

    Both hands at 160 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. 5

    Ending: Bb – C – F

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

    BbCF

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Questions about Bitter Green

What chords are in Bitter Green?

The loop is C – F – Bb – C (V – I – IV – V) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.

What key is Bitter Green in?

F major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Bitter Green?

Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Bitter Green 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.