Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Famous on piano
By Nathan Sykes
- B major
- 3/4
- 160 BPM
- vi–IV–V–I loop
- 2016
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Famous in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G#m – E – F# – B
How it goes
Famous sits in B major: B is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G#m is G#, B and D#; E is E, G# and B; F# is F#, A# and C#; B is B, D# and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G#mviEIVF#VBI- G#mG# · B · D#
- EE · G# · B
- F#F# · A# · C#
- BB · D# · F#
- 2
Left hand: Waltz ripple
How it goes
A ripple of three notes in three-time. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (3/4) (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 473 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Waltzing clock
How it goes
One note ticking six times per waltz bar, light and even. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: E – F# – B
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EF#B
Play next
Questions about Famous
What chords are in Famous?
The loop is G#m – E – F# – B (vi – IV – V – I) in B major, and the song ends on E – F# – B.
What key is Famous in?
B major, at about 160 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Famous?
Waltz ripple: broken chord 1-5-8 (3/4), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Famous 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.