Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Indian Reservation on piano
Written by John D. Loudermilk
- E minor
- 2/2
- 130 BPM
- 1963
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Indian Reservation in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – C – G – D
How it goes
Indian Reservation sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiCVIGIIIDVII- EmE · G · B
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
How it goes
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
How it goes
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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: C – D – Em
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm
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Questions about Indian Reservation
What chords are in Indian Reservation?
The loop is Em – C – G – D (i – VI – III – VII) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Indian Reservation in?
E minor, at about 130 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Indian Reservation?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Indian Reservation 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.