Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play History Has Its Eyes On You on piano
Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda
- C major
- 4/4
- 72 BPM
- 2015
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn History Has Its Eyes On You in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – F – C – Dm
How it goes
History Has Its Eyes On You sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmviFIVCIDmii- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of 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 72 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: Dm – F – C
How it goes
The last chords are ii – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DmFC
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Questions about History Has Its Eyes On You
What chords are in History Has Its Eyes On You?
The loop is Am – F – C – Dm (vi – IV – I – ii) in C major, and the song ends on Dm – F – C.
What key is History Has Its Eyes On You in?
C major, at about 72 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in History Has Its Eyes On You?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is History Has Its Eyes On You 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.