Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Defying Gravity on piano
By Glee Cast
- Db major
- 4/4
- 76 BPM
- 2004
- Easy
Learn Defying Gravity in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Bbm – Gbsus4 – Ab
Defying Gravity sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Gbsus4 is Gb, Cb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbVBbmviGbsus4IVsus4AbV- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbmBb · Db · F
- Gbsus4Gb · Cb · Db
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 76 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: Gb – Ab – Db
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbDb- GbGb · Bb · Db
- DbDb · F · Ab
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Questions about Defying Gravity
What chords are in Defying Gravity?
The loop is Ab – Bbm – Gbsus4 – Ab (V – vi – IVsus – V) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.
What key is Defying Gravity in?
Db major, at about 76 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Defying Gravity?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Defying Gravity 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.