Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Butterflies on piano
Written by Suzanne Ciani
- D major
- 3/4
- 122 BPM
- V–I–V–vi loop
- 1997
- Medium
Learn Butterflies in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – D – A – Bm
Butterflies sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A; Bm is B, D and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AVDIAVBmvi- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- BmB · D · F#
- 2
Left hand: Lullaby ripple
Up to the top and rocking there in quick notes: a lullaby in three. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5-8-5 (3/4) (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 92 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Chattering waltz
After the first beat, quick chords and notes chatter to the end of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 122 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: G – A – D
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- GG · B · D
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Questions about Butterflies
What chords are in Butterflies?
The loop is A – D – A – Bm (V – I – V – vi) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Butterflies in?
D major, at about 122 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Butterflies?
Lullaby ripple: broken chord 1-5-8-5-8-5 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Butterflies 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.