Come Alive Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Come Alive in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: D – Am – C – G
How it goes
Come Alive sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; Am is A, C and E; C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIAmvCbVIIGIV
- DD · F# · A
- AmA · C · E
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
14 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Hopscotch steps
How it goes
Step, step, skip a beat, step: like hopping over a square. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 668 songs of the library.
Hopscotch stepsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Wake-and-run chords
How it goes
One long chord, then three quick ones running into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Wake-and-run chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 114 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: C – G – D
How it goes
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CGD

What chords are in Come Alive?

The loop is D – Am – C – G (I – v – bVII – IV) in D major, and the song ends on C – G – D.

What key is Come Alive in?

D major, at about 114 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Come Alive?

Hopscotch steps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Come Alive easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.