Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Friends on piano

By Marshmello & Anne-Marie

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Friends in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Am – Dm7 – Dm – F – Am – C – F – Dm
How it goes
Friends sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: Am is A, C and E; Dm7 is D, F, A and C; Dm is D, F and A; F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmviDm7ii7DmiiFIVAmviCIFIVDmii
- AmA · C · E
- Dm7D · F · A · C
- DmD · F · A
- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
2
Left hand: Lub-dub heartbeat
How it goes
Two quick beats, a pause, two quick beats: just like a real heart. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 3 · 3& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 294 songs of the library.
Lub-dub heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Run-up chords
How it goes
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.
Run-up chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 96 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: Dm – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DmGC
- GG · B · D

What chords are in Friends?

The loop is Am – Dm7 – Dm – F – Am – C – F – Dm (vi – ii7 – ii – IV – vi – I – IV – ii) in C major, and the song ends on Dm – G – C.

What key is Friends in?

C major, at about 96 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Friends?

Lub-dub heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1& · 3 · 3&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Friends easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Friends?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.