Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Imagine on piano
- Ab major
- 3/4
- 132 BPM
- 2018
- Easy
Learn Imagine in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Cm – Bbm – Cm
Imagine sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Cm is C, Eb and G; Bbm is Bb, Db and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIVCmiiiBbmiiCmiii- DbDb · F · Ab
- CmC · Eb · G
- BbmBb · Db · F
- 2
Left hand: Waltz climb
Three notes up the chord, one per beat: a gentle waltz climb. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5 (3/4) (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 248 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Waltz chords
A chord on each of the three beats: a simple waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 132 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: Db – Eb – Ab
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
Play next
Questions about Imagine
What chords are in Imagine?
The loop is Db – Cm – Bbm – Cm (IV – iii – ii – iii) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Imagine in?
Ab major, at about 132 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Imagine?
Waltz climb: broken chord 1-3-5 (3/4), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Imagine 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.