Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Count On Me on piano
By Bruno Mars
- G minor
- 4/4
- 128 BPM
- 2009
- Easy
Learn Count On Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – Eb – Eb – F – Gm – Dm – Eb – Eb – F – Gm
Count On Me sits in G minor: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 10 chords: Dm is D, F and A; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmvEbVIEbVIFVIIGmiDmvEbVIEbVIFVIIGmi- DmD · F · A
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Stride jumps
Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 128 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: D – C – G
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DCG- DD · F# · A
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Count On Me
What chords are in Count On Me?
The loop is Dm – Eb – Eb – F – Gm – Dm – Eb – Eb – F – Gm (v – VI – VII – i – v – VI – VII – i – v – VI) in G minor, and the song ends on D – C – G.
What key is Count On Me in?
G minor, at about 128 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Count On Me?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Count On Me easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 10 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Count On Me?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure 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.