Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother on piano

Artist unknown

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Eb – Eb – F7 – Gm – Ab
How it goes
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Gm is G, Bb and D; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIVEbIVF7V7GmviAbbVII
- EbEb · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- GmG · Bb · D
- AbAb · C · Eb
2
Left hand: Wobbly heartbeat
How it goes
Two off-balance notes on the “ands”, then a firm landing on beat 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 267 songs of the library.
Wobbly heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Knock-knock chords
How it goes
Chord, a quick knock-knock, a pause, then one last chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Knock-knock chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 76 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
Ending: Bb – Cm – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are I – ii – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCmBb
- BbBb · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G

What chords are in He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother?

The loop is Eb – Eb – F7 – Gm – Ab (IV – V7 – vi – bVII – IV) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – Cm – Bb.

What key is He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother in?

Bb major, at about 76 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother?

Wobbly heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part 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.