Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Johanna on piano
Written by Stephen Sondheim
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 144 BPM
- 1978
- Easy
Learn Johanna in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Ab – Ebsus4 – Eb
Johanna sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Ebsus4 is Eb, Ab and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIAbIVEbsus4Isus4EbI- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- Ebsus4Eb · Ab · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 144 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: Fm – Ab – Eb
The last chords are ii – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FmAbEb- FmF · Ab · C
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Questions about Johanna
What chords are in Johanna?
The loop is Eb – Ab – Ebsus4 – Eb (I – IV – Isus – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Fm – Ab – Eb.
What key is Johanna in?
Eb major, at about 144 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Johanna?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Johanna 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.