Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Cherry Bomb on piano
Artist unknown
- D major
- 4/4
- 141 BPM
- Medium
Learn Cherry Bomb in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: B – E – B – E
Cherry Bomb sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: B is B, D# and F#; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BVIEIIBVIEII- BB · D# · F#
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Chugging-train pulse
Chugs along in quick even notes, then takes one tiny breath at the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 629 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 141 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: G – A – D
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
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Questions about Cherry Bomb
What chords are in Cherry Bomb?
The loop is B – E – B – E (VI5 – II5 – VI5 – II5) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Cherry Bomb in?
D major, at about 141 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Cherry Bomb?
Chugging-train pulse: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Cherry Bomb 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.