Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Desert Song on piano
Written by Brooke Ligertwood
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 112 BPM
- vi–V–IV–I loop
- 2007
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Desert Song in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Bb – Ab – Eb
How it goes
Desert Song sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Bb is Bb, D and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmviBbVAbIVEbI- CmC · Eb · G
- BbBb · D · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
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: the chords, held
How it goes
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 112 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb
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Questions about Desert Song
What chords are in Desert Song?
The loop is Cm – Bb – Ab – Eb (vi – V – IV – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Desert Song in?
Eb major, at about 112 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Desert Song?
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 Desert Song 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.