Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Breakaway on piano
- C major
- 6/8
- 78 BPM
- 2004
- Medium
Learn Breakaway in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – G – Am – G – F – Am7
Breakaway sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C; Am7 is A, C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIGVAmviGVFIVAm7vi7- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- Am7A · C · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Rowing-boat pulse
Six even low notes per bar, rolling along like oars on water. Musicians call it root bass · 6/8 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 240 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 78 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
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Questions about Breakaway
What chords are in Breakaway?
The loop is C – G – Am – G – F – Am7 (I – V – vi – V – IV – vi7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Breakaway in?
C major, at about 78 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Breakaway?
Rowing-boat pulse: root bass · 6/8 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Breakaway easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 6 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Breakaway?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune 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.