Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play City Of Stars (from La La Land) on piano

By Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn City Of Stars (from La La Land) in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Gm – Dm – C – Bb – Dm – Dm7 – Dm – Dm7
How it goes
City Of Stars (from La La Land) sits in D minor: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; Dm is D, F and A; C is C, E and G; Bb is Bb, D and F; Dm7 is D, F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmivDmiCVIIBbVIDmiDm7i7DmiDm7i7
- GmG · Bb · D
- DmD · F · A
- CC · E · G
- BbBb · D · F
- Dm7D · F · A · C
2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Walking rootsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Bossa chords
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: soft Brazilian chords. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Bossa chordsSyncopated chords · Bossa novaRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 100 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: Bb – C – Dm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCDm

What chords are in City Of Stars (from La La Land)?

The loop is Gm – Dm – C – Bb – Dm – Dm7 – Dm – Dm7 (iv – i – VII – VI – i – i7 – i – i7) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.

What key is City Of Stars (from La La Land) in?

D minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in City Of Stars (from La La Land)?

Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is City Of Stars (from La La Land) easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of City Of Stars (from La La Land)?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.