Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Blackout on piano
By Linkin Park
- A major
- 4/4
- 135 BPM
- 2010
- Easy
Learn Blackout in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C#m – D – F#m – E
Blackout sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C#m is C#, E and G#; D is D, F# and A; F#m is F#, A and C#; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C#miiiDIVF#mviEV- C#mC# · E · G#
- DD · F# · A
- F#mF# · A · C#
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Late-knock chords
One chord, a long wait, then a quick knock-knock at the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 135 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: D – E – A
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Blackout
What chords are in Blackout?
The loop is C#m – D – F#m – E (iii – IV – vi – V) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Blackout in?
A major, at about 135 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Blackout?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Blackout 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.