Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Fight Song on piano
By Rachel Platten
- G major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- IV–I–V–vi loop
- 2013
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Fight Song in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – G – D – Em
How it goes
Fight Song sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIVGIDVEmvi- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Hiccup heartbeat
How it goes
A tiny hiccup just before beat 3, then a push on the “and”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 121 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Drip-drop slide
How it goes
Taps on the top note just off the beat, then a slide one step down. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG
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Questions about Fight Song
What chords are in Fight Song?
The loop is C – G – D – Em (IV – I – V – vi) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Fight Song in?
G major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Fight Song?
Hiccup heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Fight Song 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.