Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Cherish on piano
By The Association
- F major
- 4/4
- 106 BPM
- V–I–IV–V loop
- Medium
Learn Cherish in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – Bb – C
Cherish sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CVFIBbIVCV- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Push and land
A push just before beat 3, then two calm landings. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 106 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF
Play next
Questions about Cherish
What chords are in Cherish?
The loop is C – F – Bb – C (V – I – IV – V) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Cherish in?
F major, at about 106 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Cherish?
Push and land: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Cherish 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.