Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise on piano
- C major
- 4/4
- 112 BPM
- 2004
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G7 – C – Ab7 – C
How it goes
I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G7V7CIAb7bVI7CI- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- 2
Left hand: Giant steps
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, low and heavy, like a giant walking. Musicians call it lh chords (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 112 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 – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
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Questions about I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise
What chords are in I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise?
The loop is G7 – C – Ab7 – C (V7 – I – bVI7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise in?
C major, at about 112 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise?
Giant steps: lh chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.