Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play Holy Diver on piano
By Dio
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- 1983
- Tricky
Learn Holy Diver in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Eb – Bb – C
Holy Diver sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CVIEbIBbVCVI- CC · E · G
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Thunder tremolo
An octave shaking fast: thunder and suspense. Musicians call it octave tremolo (tremolo), a tricky pattern heard in 150 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Swing push
Three chords tumble out early with a swing, then the bar breathes. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
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Questions about Holy Diver
What chords are in Holy Diver?
The loop is C – Eb – Bb – C (VI5 – I5 – V5 – VI5) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Holy Diver in?
Eb major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Holy Diver?
Thunder tremolo: octave tremolo, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Holy Diver easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.