Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Heavy on piano
Written by Henry Krieger
- G minor
- 4/4
- 146 BPM
- 1981
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Heavy in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Am – Gm – Bb
How it goes
Heavy sits in G minor: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Am is A, C and E; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIIIAmiiGmiBbIII- BbBb · D · F
- AmA · C · E
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Island seesaw
How it goes
Low, high, low in the three-three-two island rhythm. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-1 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 723 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Gear-shift chords
How it goes
Quick even chords that skip beat 3, like an engine changing gear. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 146 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: Eb – F – Gm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFGm- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Heavy
What chords are in Heavy?
The loop is Bb – Am – Gm – Bb (bIII – ii – i – bIII) in G minor, and the song ends on Eb – F – Gm.
What key is Heavy in?
G minor, at about 146 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Heavy?
Island seesaw: root–fifth 1-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Heavy 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.