Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Hey, Soul Sister on piano
By Train
- E major
- 4/4
- 96 BPM
- I–V–vi–IV loop
- 2009
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Hey, Soul Sister in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – B – C#m – A
How it goes
Hey, Soul Sister sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; B is B, D# and F#; C#m is C#, E and G#; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIBVC#mviAIV- EE · G# · B
- BB · D# · F#
- C#mC# · E · G#
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Galloping heartbeat
How it goes
Ta-DUM, ta-DUM: quick pickups into beats 2 and 4, like hooves. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 3 · 3a · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 115 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
How it goes
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 96 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: A – B7 – E
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AB7E- B7B · D# · F# · A
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Questions about Hey, Soul Sister
What chords are in Hey, Soul Sister?
The loop is E – B – C#m – A (I – V – vi – IV) in E major, and the song ends on A – B7 – E.
What key is Hey, Soul Sister in?
E major, at about 96 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Hey, Soul Sister?
Galloping heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 3 · 3a · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hey, Soul Sister 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.