Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play Distant Dreamer on piano
Written by Aimee Duffy & Bernard Butler
- G major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- Isus–I–Isus–I loop
- 2008
- Tricky
Learn Distant Dreamer in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gsus4 – G – Gsus4 – G
Distant Dreamer sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gsus4 is G, C and D; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Gsus4Isus4GIGsus4Isus4GI- Gsus4G · C · D
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Thunder tremolo
An octave shaking fast: thunder and suspense. Musicians call it octave tremolo (tremolo), a tricky pattern heard in 150 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: C – D – G
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
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Questions about Distant Dreamer
What chords are in Distant Dreamer?
The loop is Gsus4 – G – Gsus4 – G (Isus – I – Isus – I) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Distant Dreamer in?
G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Distant Dreamer?
Thunder tremolo: octave tremolo, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Distant Dreamer easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.