Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Hey Angel on piano
Written by John Henry Ryan, Julian Bunetta & others
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- I–bVII–IV–I loop
- 2015
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Hey Angel in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Db – Ab – Eb
How it goes
Hey Angel sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Db is Db, F and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIDbbVIIAbIVEbI- EbEb · G · Bb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Bubbly heartbeat
How it goes
Steady beats filled with quick little pickups around beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 173 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Late-knock chords
How it goes
One chord, a long wait, then a quick knock-knock at the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- BbBb · D · F
Play next
Questions about Hey Angel
What chords are in Hey Angel?
The loop is Eb – Db – Ab – Eb (I – bVII – IV – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Hey Angel in?
Eb major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Hey Angel?
Bubbly heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hey Angel 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.