Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Drink A Beer on piano
Written by Jim Beavers & Chris Stapleton
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 150 BPM
- I–IV–V–IV loop
- 2011
- Easy
Learn Drink A Beer in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Db – Eb – Db
Drink A Beer sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Db is Db, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIDbIVEbVDbIV- AbAb · C · Eb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 150 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: Db – Eb – Ab
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb
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Questions about Drink A Beer
What chords are in Drink A Beer?
The loop is Ab – Db – Eb – Db (I – IV – V – IV) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Drink A Beer in?
Ab major, at about 150 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Drink A Beer?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Drink A Beer 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.