Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Bottoms Up on piano
Written by Brantley Gilbert, Brett James & others
- E minor
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- i–bVI–bVII–i loop
- 2013
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Bottoms Up in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – C – D – Em
How it goes
Bottoms Up 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; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiCVIDVIIEmi- EmE · G · B
- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Tick-tick-boom pulse
How it goes
Two quick low notes and a high one, twice: ta-ta-DUM, ta-ta-DUM. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths 1-2, 3-4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 479 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
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 90 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 Bottoms Up
What chords are in Bottoms Up?
The loop is Em – C – D – Em (i – bVI – bVII – i) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Bottoms Up in?
E minor, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Bottoms Up?
Tick-tick-boom pulse: root bass · 8ths 1-2, 3-4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Bottoms Up 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.