Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play In Bloom on piano
By Nirvana
- Bb major
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- 1991
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn In Bloom in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – G – Bb – G
How it goes
In Bloom sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIGVIBbIGVI- BbBb · D · F
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Double-skip footsteps
How it goes
Steady steps with two quick skips, one mid-bar and one at the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 397 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Push-and-land chords
How it goes
A push just before beat 3, then two calm landings. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
Play next
Questions about In Bloom
What chords are in In Bloom?
The loop is Bb – G – Bb – G (I – VI5 – I – VI5) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is In Bloom in?
Bb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in In Bloom?
Double-skip footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is In Bloom 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.