Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Bridge Over Troubled Water on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Bridge Over Troubled Water in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Ab – Ab7 – Cm7 – Ab – G – Cm – Eb
How it goes
Bridge Over Troubled Water sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; G is G, B and D; Cm is C, Eb and G; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIVAb7IV7Cm7vi7AbIVGIIICmviEbI
- AbAb · C · Eb
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- GG · B · D
- CmC · Eb · G
- EbEb · G · Bb
782 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Soft chords
How it goes
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Soft chordsBlock chords · BalladRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 100 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: Ab – Abm – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – iv – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbAbmEb
- AbmAb · Cb · Eb

What chords are in Bridge Over Troubled Water?

The loop is Ab – Ab7 – Cm7 – Ab – G – Cm – Eb (IV – IV7 – vi7 – IV – III – vi – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Abm – Eb.

What key is Bridge Over Troubled Water in?

Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Bridge Over Troubled Water?

Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Bridge Over Troubled Water easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 7 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Bridge Over Troubled Water?

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

Made from 10 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.