Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play Cheap Thrills on piano
By Sia
- F# minor
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- i–bVI–bIII–bVII loop
- Tricky
Learn Cheap Thrills in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F#m – D – A – E
Cheap Thrills sits in F# minor: F# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F#m is F#, A and C#; D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F#miDVIAIIIEVII- F#mF# · A · C#
- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Thunder tremolo
An octave shaking fast: thunder and suspense. Musicians call it octave tremolo (tremolo), a tricky pattern heard in 150 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Double island chords
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 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: D – E – F#m
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEF#m
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Questions about Cheap Thrills
What chords are in Cheap Thrills?
The loop is F#m – D – A – E (i – bVI – bIII – bVII) in F# minor, and the song ends on D – E – F#m.
What key is Cheap Thrills in?
F# minor, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Cheap Thrills?
Thunder tremolo: octave tremolo, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Cheap Thrills easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.