Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Daylight on piano
By Maroon 5
- D major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- vi–IV–I–vi loop
- 2012
- Medium
Learn Daylight in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bm – G – D – Bm
Daylight sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bm is B, D and F#; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BmviGIVDIBmvi- BmB · D · F#
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Island pulse
Three, three, two: the island rhythm in so many pop hits. Musicians call it root bass · tresillo 3-3-2 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Deep-breath chords
A breath on beat 1, then quick chords pumping to the end. 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: Bm – G – D
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BmGD
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Questions about Daylight
What chords are in Daylight?
The loop is Bm – G – D – Bm (vi – IV – I – vi) in D major, and the song ends on Bm – G – D.
What key is Daylight in?
D major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Daylight?
Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Daylight 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.