Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Dreamer on piano
Written by Rick Davies & Roger Hodgson
- D major
- 4/4
- 132 BPM
- 1974
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Dreamer in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – D – A7 – D – D – A7
How it goes
Dreamer sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: D is D, F# and A; A7 is A, C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIDIA7V7DIDIA7V7- DD · F# · A
- A7A · C# · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Three-step climb
How it goes
Root, fifth, octave, then let it ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
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 132 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: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Dreamer
What chords are in Dreamer?
The loop is D – D – A7 – D – D – A7 (I – V7 – I – V7 – I – V7) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Dreamer in?
D major, at about 132 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Dreamer?
Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Dreamer easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 6 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Dreamer?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.