Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Gangnam Style on piano
By PSY
- B minor
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- 2012
- Medium
Learn Gangnam Style in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – F#m – Bm – Em
Gangnam Style sits in B minor: B is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; F#m is F#, A and C#; Bm is B, D and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmivF#mvBmiEmiv- EmE · G · B
- F#mF# · A · C#
- BmB · D · F#
- 2
Left hand: Double island pulse
The island rhythm squeezed in twice per bar: quick and dancy. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3 · 3a · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 122 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Double island chords
The island rhythm squeezed in twice per bar: quick and dancy. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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: G – A – Bm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GABm- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Gangnam Style
What chords are in Gangnam Style?
The loop is Em – F#m – Bm – Em (iv – v – i – iv) in B minor, and the song ends on G – A – Bm.
What key is Gangnam Style in?
B minor, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Gangnam Style?
Double island pulse: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3 · 3a · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Gangnam Style 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.