Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Brazil on piano
By Ary Barroso
- G major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1941
- Easy
Learn Brazil in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – Am – Adim – G
Brazil sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E; Adim is A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIAmiiAdimii°GI- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- AdimA · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Over-the-hill
A jump up to the top, then down through the chord to home. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-3-1 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 204 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Am – D7 – G
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AmD7G- D7D · F# · A · C
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Questions about Brazil
What chords are in Brazil?
The loop is G – Am – Adim – G (I – ii – iio – I) in G major, and the song ends on Am – D7 – G.
What key is Brazil in?
G major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Brazil?
Over-the-hill: broken chord 1-5-3-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Brazil 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.