Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Help! on piano
By The Beatles
- A major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 1965
- Easy
Learn Help! in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bm – G – E7 – A
Help! sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bm is B, D and F#; G is G, B and D; E7 is E, G#, B and D; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BmiiGbVIIE7V7AI- BmB · D · F#
- GG · B · D
- E7E · G# · B · D
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Yo-yo bounce
A long high root, a dip down, and back up like a yo-yo. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 629 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hand-clap chords
Rests on beat 1, then clap-clap on 2 and one more clap on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: A – F#m – A
The last chords are I – vi – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AF#mA- F#mF# · A · C#
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Questions about Help!
What chords are in Help!?
The loop is Bm – G – E7 – A (ii – bVII – V7 – I) in A major, and the song ends on A – F#m – A.
What key is Help! in?
A major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Help!?
Yo-yo bounce: broken chord 8-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Help! 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 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.