Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Cheers on piano
Written by Andrew Harr, Jermaine Jackson & others
- E major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- I–bVII–IV–I loop
- 2010
- Tricky
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Cheers in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – D – A – E
How it goes
Cheers sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIDbVIIAIVEI- EE · G# · B
- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Island pulse
How it goes
Three, three, two: the island rhythm in so many pop hits. Musicians call it root bass · tresillo 3-3-2 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hailstones
How it goes
The top note rattles in very quick bursts, like hail on a window. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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 – A – E
How it goes
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DAE
Play next
Questions about Cheers
What chords are in Cheers?
The loop is E – D – A – E (I – bVII – IV – I) in E major, and the song ends on D – A – E.
What key is Cheers in?
E major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Cheers?
Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Cheers 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.