Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Blank Space on piano
By Taylor Swift
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- V–I–vi–IV loop
- 2014
- Medium
Learn Blank Space in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – Dm – Bb
Blank Space 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; Dm is D, F and A; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CVFIDmviBbIV- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- DmD · F · A
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Fluttering heartbeat
A quick flutter before beat 2, then a push before beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 152 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Candle flicker
Two low chord notes flicker back and forth, warm like candlelight. 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: 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 Blank Space
What chords are in Blank Space?
The loop is C – F – Dm – Bb (V – I – vi – IV) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Blank Space in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Blank Space?
Fluttering heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Blank Space 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Blank Space?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the opening of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.