Fragile Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Fragile in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Dm – F – Dm – F
Fragile sits in D minor: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiFIIIDmiFIII
- DmD · F · A
- FF · A · C
23 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Oom-pah
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Oom-pahStride & boom-chick · StrideLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Hopscotch chordsBlock chords · StrideRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 160 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
- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G

What chords are in Fragile?

The loop is Dm – F – Dm – F (i – bIII – i – bIII) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.

What key is Fragile in?

D minor, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Fragile?

Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Fragile 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.