Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Dreams To Dream on piano

Written by James Horner & Will Jennings

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Dreams To Dream in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: C – Em – Bb – Dm
How it goes
Dreams To Dream sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Em is E, G and B; Bb is Bb, D and F; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIEmiiiBbbVIIDmii
- CC · E · G
- EmE · G · B
- BbBb · D · F
- DmD · F · A
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.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Late-knock chords
How it goes
One chord, a long wait, then a quick knock-knock at the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Late-knock chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 100 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D

What chords are in Dreams To Dream?

The loop is C – Em – Bb – Dm (I – iii – bVII – ii) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Dreams To Dream in?

C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Dreams To Dream?

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 Dreams To Dream 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.