Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Gracefully Broken on piano
Written by Matt Redman, Katie Torwalt & others
- A major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- vi–IV–I–V loop
- 2017
- Medium
Learn Gracefully Broken in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F#m – D – A – E
Gracefully Broken sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F#m is F#, A and C#; D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F#mviDIVAIEV- F#mF# · A · C#
- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Rock hop
Low, high, a quick double, then high again: a hopping rock bass. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 809 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Leaping sparkle
A note and a much higher one leap back and forth, bright and playful. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: F#m – D – A
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
F#mDA
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Questions about Gracefully Broken
What chords are in Gracefully Broken?
The loop is F#m – D – A – E (vi – IV – I – V) in A major, and the song ends on F#m – D – A.
What key is Gracefully Broken in?
A major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Gracefully Broken?
Rock hop: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Gracefully Broken 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.