Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Waltz garden

How to play Giving It All Away on piano

By Ashlee Simpson

  • C# minor
  • 3/4
  • 160 BPM
  • 2004
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Waltz rootsRight hand Waltz chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Giving It All Away in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: C#sus4 – A – C#sus4 – A

    How it goes

    Giving It All Away sits in C# minor: C# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C#sus4 is C#, F# and G#; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    C#sus4Isus4AVIC#sus4Isus4AVI
    • C#sus4C# · F# · G#
    • AA · C# · E
  2. 2

    Left hand: Waltz roots

    How it goes

    One low note on each of the three beats: a simple waltz floor. Musicians call it root bass · 3/4 quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 391 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Waltz chords

    How it goes

    A chord on each of the three beats: a simple waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 160 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. 5

    Ending: A – B – C#m

    How it goes

    The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    ABC#m
    • BB · D# · F#
    • C#mC# · E · G#

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Questions about Giving It All Away

What chords are in Giving It All Away?

The loop is C#sus4 – A – C#sus4 – A (Isus – bVI – Isus – bVI) in C# minor, and the song ends on A – B – C#m.

What key is Giving It All Away in?

C# minor, at about 160 beats a minute in 3/4.

What does the left hand play in Giving It All Away?

Waltz roots: root bass · 3/4 quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Giving It All Away 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.