Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Chains on piano
By Tina Arena
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- 1995
- Easy
Learn Chains in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – C – Fm – C
Chains sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmviCIIIFmviCIII- FmF · Ab · C
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Dancing heartbeat
Notes dance around the beats, pushing ahead on the “ands”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 245 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleep-in chords
Quiet for half the bar, then three chords wake up near the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 92 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: Db – Eb – Ab
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
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Questions about Chains
What chords are in Chains?
The loop is Fm – C – Fm – C (vi – III – vi – III) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Chains in?
Ab major, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Chains?
Dancing heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Chains 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.