Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Havana on piano
- G minor
- 4/4
- 105 BPM
- 2017
- Medium
Learn Havana in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – Eb – D – Gm – Eb – D
Havana sits in G minor: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmiEbVIDVGmiEbVIDV- GmG · Bb · D
- EbEb · G · Bb
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Deep-breath chords
A breath on beat 1, then quick chords pumping to the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 105 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: Eb – F – Gm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFGm- FF · A · C
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Questions about Havana
What chords are in Havana?
The loop is Gm – Eb – D – Gm – Eb – D (i – VI – V – i – VI – V) in G minor, and the song ends on Eb – F – Gm.
What key is Havana in?
G minor, at about 105 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Havana?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Havana easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 6 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Havana?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.