Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Foggy Mountain Breakdown on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Foggy Mountain Breakdown in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: C – E – Am – C
How it goes
Foggy Mountain Breakdown sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; E is E, G# and B; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIEIIIAmviCI
- CC · E · G
- EE · G# · B
- AmA · C · E
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: Marching chords
How it goes
Two chords per bar, left-right, like a happy little march. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Marching chordsBlock chords · StrideRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 136 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 – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CGC
- GG · B · D

What chords are in Foggy Mountain Breakdown?

The loop is C – E – Am – C (I – III – vi – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – G – C.

What key is Foggy Mountain Breakdown in?

C major, at about 136 beats a minute in 2/4.

What does the left hand play in Foggy Mountain Breakdown?

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 Foggy Mountain Breakdown 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.