Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Celebration on piano
By Madonna
- D major
- 4/4
- 126 BPM
- 2009
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Celebration in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – A – Bm – Bm – G – A – Bm – Bm
How it goes
Celebration sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: Em is E, G and B; A is A, C# and E; Bm is B, D and F#; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiiAVBmviBmviGIVAVBmviBmvi- EmE · G · B
- AA · C# · E
- BmB · D · F#
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Drowsy heartbeat
How it goes
Two slow notes, then a late one that slips in before the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 889 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Double island chords
How it goes
The island rhythm squeezed in twice per bar: quick and dancy. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 126 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: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about Celebration
What chords are in Celebration?
The loop is Em – A – Bm – Bm – G – A – Bm – Bm (ii – V – vi – IV – V – vi – ii – V) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Celebration in?
D major, at about 126 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Celebration?
Drowsy heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Celebration easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 8 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Celebration?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.