Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Danger Zone on piano
Written by Giorgio Moroder & Tom Whitlock
- F major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- vi–V–vi–V loop
- 1986
- Easy
Learn Danger Zone in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – C – Dm – C
Danger Zone sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmviCVDmviCV- DmD · F · A
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 140 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Danger Zone
What chords are in Danger Zone?
The loop is Dm – C – Dm – C (vi – V – vi – V) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Danger Zone in?
F major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Danger Zone?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Danger Zone 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.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.