Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play In Color on piano

By Jamey Johnson

Tuning the piano…
Learn it
Learn it
Style

Left hand Walking rootsRight hand Soft chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn In Color in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

  1. 1

    Chords: Bb – Ab – Eb – Bb

    How it goes

    In Color sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    BbIAbbVIIEbIVBbI
    • BbBb · D · F
    • AbAb · C · Eb
    • EbEb · G · Bb
    102 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Walking roots

    How it goes

    One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Soft chords

    How it goes

    Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 140 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. 5

    Ending: Ab – Eb – Bb

    How it goes

    The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    AbEbBb

Play next

Questions about In Color

What chords are in In Color?

The loop is Bb – Ab – Eb – Bb (I – bVII – IV – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Ab – Eb – Bb.

What key is In Color in?

Bb major, at about 140 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in In Color?

Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is In Color 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.