Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Electric Barbarella on piano
By Duran Duran
- D minor
- 4/4
- 132 BPM
- 1997
- Easy
Learn Electric Barbarella in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – Bb – A – F
Electric Barbarella sits in D minor: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; Bb is Bb, D and F; A is A, C# and E; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIBbVIAVFIII- DD · F# · A
- BbBb · D · F
- AA · C# · E
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Run-up chords
Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 132 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: Bb – C – Dm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCDm- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
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Questions about Electric Barbarella
What chords are in Electric Barbarella?
The loop is D – Bb – A – F (I5 – bVI – V5 – bIII5) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.
What key is Electric Barbarella in?
D minor, at about 132 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Electric Barbarella?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Electric Barbarella 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.