Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play How Beautiful on piano
By Twila Paris
- D major
- 3/4
- 120 BPM
- I–V–IV–I loop
- 1990
- Medium
Learn How Beautiful in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – A – G – D
How Beautiful sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 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.
DIAVGIVDI- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Moon River roll
A wide, flowing roll in three, the Moon River feel. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 441 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleepy waltz chords
A long chord, then a double on beat 3: a lazy, rocking waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Em – A7 – D
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EmA7D- EmE · G · B
- A7A · C# · E · G
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Questions about How Beautiful
What chords are in How Beautiful?
The loop is D – A – G – D (I – V – IV – I) in D major, and the song ends on Em – A7 – D.
What key is How Beautiful in?
D major, at about 120 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in How Beautiful?
Moon River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is How Beautiful 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.