Piano chords · Bossa beach

How to play Heartbreaker on piano

Written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb & others

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Heartbreaker in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Bm7 – Em – Bm7 – Em – C – Bm7
How it goes
Heartbreaker sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Bm7 is B, D, F# and A; Em is E, G and B; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bm7iii7EmviBm7iii7EmviCIVBm7iii7
- Bm7B · D · F# · A
- EmE · G · B
- CC · E · G
2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
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.
Bossa swayRoot bass rhythm · Bossa novaLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Deep-breath chords
How it goes
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.
Deep-breath chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 100 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG
- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D

What chords are in Heartbreaker?

The loop is Bm7 – Em – Bm7 – Em – C – Bm7 (iii7 – vi – iii7 – vi – IV – iii7) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.

What key is Heartbreaker in?

G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Heartbreaker?

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 Heartbreaker 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 Heartbreaker?

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.