Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Holding Out For A Hero on piano
- A minor
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 1984
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Holding Out For A Hero in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – Am – Em7 – Em7
How it goes
Holding Out For A Hero sits in A minor: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; Em7 is E, G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiAmiEm7v7Em7v7- AmA · C · E
- Em7E · G · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Run-up chords
How it goes
Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: F – G – Am
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGAm- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Holding Out For A Hero
What chords are in Holding Out For A Hero?
The loop is Am – Am – Em7 – Em7 (i – v7 – i – v7) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.
What key is Holding Out For A Hero in?
A minor, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Holding Out For A Hero?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Holding Out For A Hero 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Holding Out For A Hero?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.