Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Hard To Be The Bard on piano
Written by Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karey Kirkpatrick
- G major
- 4/4
- 111 BPM
- 2015
- Easy
Learn Hard To Be The Bard in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – A – D – B7
Hard To Be The Bard sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A; B7 is B, D#, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIAIIDVB7III7- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- B7B · D# · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 111 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: C – D – G
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
Questions about Hard To Be The Bard
What chords are in Hard To Be The Bard?
The loop is G – A – D – B7 (I – II – V – III7) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Hard To Be The Bard in?
G major, at about 111 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Hard To Be The Bard?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hard To Be The Bard 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.