Breakdown Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Breakdown in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: C – Em – Am – G
How it goes
Breakdown sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Em is E, G and B; Am is A, C and E; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIEmiiiAmviGV
- CC · E · G
- EmE · G · B
- AmA · C · E
- GG · B · D
12 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Power fifths
How it goes
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Power fifthsLeft-hand chords · RockLeft handMedium
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 120 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: Am – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are vi – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AmGC

What chords are in Breakdown?

The loop is C – Em – Am – G (I – iii – vi – V) in C major, and the song ends on Am – G – C.

What key is Breakdown in?

C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Breakdown?

Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Breakdown 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 Breakdown?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.