Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Black Cat on piano
Written by Janet Jackson
- E minor
- 4/4
- 138 BPM
- 1989
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Black Cat in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – C – G – D
How it goes
Black Cat sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiCVIGIIIDVII- EmE · G · B
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Racing heartbeat
How it goes
One calm beat, then non-stop quick notes racing to the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 431 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pony-trot chords
How it goes
Quick trotting chords, then a jump over beat 3 to its “and”. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 138 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
Ending: C – D – Em
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm
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Questions about Black Cat
What chords are in Black Cat?
The loop is Em – C – G – D (i – VI – III – VII) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Black Cat in?
E minor, at about 138 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Black Cat?
Racing heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Black Cat 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.