Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Black Magic Woman on piano
Written by Peter Green
- D minor
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1968
- Easy
Learn Black Magic Woman in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – Am – Dm – Gm
Black Magic Woman sits in D minor: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; Am is A, C and E; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiAmvDmiGmiv- DmD · F · A
- AmA · C · E
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of 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 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: Bb – C – Dm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCDm- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
Questions about Black Magic Woman
What chords are in Black Magic Woman?
The loop is Dm – Am – Dm – Gm (i – v – i – iv) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.
What key is Black Magic Woman in?
D minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Black Magic Woman?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Black Magic Woman 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.