Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Catch My Breath on piano
Written by Kelly Clarkson, Jason Halbert & others
- A major
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- 2012
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Catch My Breath in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – D – E – F#m
How it goes
Catch My Breath sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; D is D, F# and A; F#m is F#, A and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EVDIVEVF#mvi- EE · G# · B
- DD · F# · A
- F#mF# · A · C#
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
How it goes
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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: D – E – A
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Catch My Breath
What chords are in Catch My Breath?
The loop is E – D – E – F#m (V – IV – V – vi) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Catch My Breath in?
A major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Catch My Breath?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Catch My Breath 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.