Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Dream on piano
Written by Daniel Reynolds, Daniel Sermon & others
- C# minor
- 4/4
- 72 BPM
- i–bIII–bVI–i loop
- 2015
- Medium
Learn Dream in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C#m – E – A – C#m
Dream sits in C# minor: C# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C#m is C#, E and G#; E is E, G# and B; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C#miEIIIAVIC#mi- C#mC# · E · G#
- EE · G# · B
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Oom-pah
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 72 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: A – B – C#m
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABC#m- BB · D# · F#
Play next
Questions about Dream
What chords are in Dream?
The loop is C#m – E – A – C#m (i – bIII – bVI – i) in C# minor, and the song ends on A – B – C#m.
What key is Dream in?
C# minor, at about 72 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Dream?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Dream 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.