Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Butterfly on piano
Written by Christina Perri
- A minor
- 4/4
- 65 BPM
- 2014
- Easy
Learn Butterfly in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – G – C – Am
Butterfly sits in A minor: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FVIGVIICIIIAmi- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- AmA · C · E
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
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.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 65 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 – Am
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGAm
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Questions about Butterfly
What chords are in Butterfly?
The loop is F – G – C – Am (bVI – bVII – bIII – i) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.
What key is Butterfly in?
A minor, at about 65 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Butterfly?
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 Butterfly 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.