Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Dark Times on piano
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Jason Quenneville & others
- C major
- 6/8
- 66 BPM
- 2015
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Dark Times in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – G – Em – F
How it goes
Dark Times sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; G is G, B and D; Em is E, G and B; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmviGVEmiiiFIV- AmA · C · E
- GG · B · D
- EmE · G · B
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Rowing-boat pulse
How it goes
Six even low notes per bar, rolling along like oars on water. Musicians call it root bass · 6/8 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 240 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Rowing-boat chords
How it goes
Six even chords per bar, rolling along like oars on water. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 66 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- CC · E · G
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Questions about Dark Times
What chords are in Dark Times?
The loop is Am – G – Em – F (vi – V – iii – IV) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Dark Times in?
C major, at about 66 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Dark Times?
Rowing-boat pulse: root bass · 6/8 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Dark Times 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.