Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play C’est La Vie on piano
- F major
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn C’est La Vie in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – C – Gm – C7
How it goes
C’est La Vie sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; C is C, E and G; Gm is G, Bb and D; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmviCVGmiiC7V7- DmD · F · A
- CC · E · G
- GmG · Bb · D
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Rising tide
How it goes
Five notes roll up wide and high, then hold: a tide coming in. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 187 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
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Questions about C’est La Vie
What chords are in C’est La Vie?
The loop is Dm – C – Gm – C7 (vi – V – ii – V7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is C’est La Vie in?
F major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in C’est La Vie?
Rising tide: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is C’est La Vie 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 C’est La Vie?
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.