Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Captain Sunshine on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Captain Sunshine in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: E – A – E – A
Captain Sunshine sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIAIVEIAIV
- EE · G# · B
- AA · C# · E
782 songs go round the same chords
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.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Soft chords
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 90 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: B – A – E
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BAE
- BB · D# · F#

What chords are in Captain Sunshine?

The loop is E – A – E – A (I – IV – I – IV) in E major, and the song ends on B – A – E.

What key is Captain Sunshine in?

E major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Captain Sunshine?

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 Captain Sunshine 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.