Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Defying Gravity (from the Broadway Musical Wicked) on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Defying Gravity (from the Broadway Musical Wicked) in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Bbm – Db – Ab – Db – Fm7 – Ab
How it goes
Defying Gravity (from the Broadway Musical Wicked) sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Db is Db, F and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Fm7 is F, Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbmviDbIAbVDbIFm7iii7AbV
- BbmBb · Db · F
- DbDb · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- Fm7F · Ab · C · Eb
2
Left hand: Giant steps
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, low and heavy, like a giant walking. Musicians call it lh chords (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Giant stepsLeft-hand chords · RockLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
How it goes
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Offbeat skankOffbeat chords · Blues and boogie-woogieRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 90 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: Cb – Gb – Db
How it goes
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CbGbDb
- CbCb · Eb · Gb
- GbGb · Bb · Db

What chords are in Defying Gravity (from the Broadway Musical Wicked)?

The loop is Bbm – Db – Ab – Db – Fm7 – Ab (vi – I – V – I – iii7 – V) in Db major, and the song ends on Cb – Gb – Db.

What key is Defying Gravity (from the Broadway Musical Wicked) in?

Db major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Defying Gravity (from the Broadway Musical Wicked)?

Giant steps: lh chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Defying Gravity (from the Broadway Musical Wicked) easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Defying Gravity (from the Broadway Musical Wicked)?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.