Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Call Me Maybe on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Call Me Maybe in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: C – D – C – D
Call Me Maybe sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIVDVCIVDV
- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
141 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Walking roots
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.
Walking rootsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Deep-breath chords
A breath on beat 1, then quick chords pumping to the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Deep-breath chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 114 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: C – D – G
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG
- GG · B · D

What chords are in Call Me Maybe?

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

What key is Call Me Maybe in?

G major, at about 114 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Call Me Maybe?

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

Is Call Me Maybe 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 Call Me Maybe?

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

Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.