Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Breathe on piano

By Taylor Swift

Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Walking rootsRight hand Hand-clap chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Breathe in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: A – G – D – A

    How it goes

    Breathe sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    AVGIVDIAV
    • AA · C# · E
    • GG · B · D
    • DD · F# · A
    92 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Walking roots

    How it goes

    One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Hand-clap chords

    How it goes

    Rests on beat 1, then clap-clap on 2 and one more clap on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 160 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. 5

    Ending: G – A – D

    How it goes

    The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    GAD

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Questions about Breathe

What chords are in Breathe?

The loop is A – G – D – A (V – IV – I – V) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.

What key is Breathe in?

D major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Breathe?

Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Breathe 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.