Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play Higher on piano
Written by Mark Tremonti & Scott Stapp
- D major
- 4/4
- 78 BPM
- 1999
- Tricky
Learn Higher in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – A – D – G – D – D – A – D – G – D
Higher sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 10 chords: D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIAVDIGIVDIDIAVDIGIVDI- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Hummingbird shiver
Two notes trembling super fast: a shiver of excitement. Musicians call it two-note tremolo (tremolo), a tricky pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 78 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: D – G – D
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DGD
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Questions about Higher
What chords are in Higher?
The loop is D – A – D – G – D – D – A – D – G – D (I – V – I – IV – I – V – I – IV – I – V) in D major, and the song ends on D – G – D.
What key is Higher in?
D major, at about 78 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Higher?
Hummingbird shiver: two-note tremolo, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Higher easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky one: learn the 10 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Higher?
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.