Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Close on piano
Written by Jay Demarcus, Michael Dulaney & others
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- IV–V–I–V loop
- 2009
- Medium
Learn Close in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Eb – Ab – Eb
Close sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIVEbVAbIEbV- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium 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 120 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: Db – Eb – Ab
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb
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Questions about Close
What chords are in Close?
The loop is Db – Eb – Ab – Eb (IV – V – I – V) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Close in?
Ab major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Close?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Close 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.