Desert Song Piano Chords & Patterns

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
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
51 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Rock hop
Low, high, a quick double, then high again: a hopping rock bass. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 809 songs of the library.
Rock hopRoot bass rhythm · RockLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Double island chords
The island rhythm squeezed in twice per bar: quick and dancy. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Double island chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 112 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb

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?

Rock hop: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Desert Song 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.