Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression Part II) on piano
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 126 BPM
- IV–I–IV–I loop
- 1973
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression Part II) in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Ab – Db – Ab
How it goes
Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression Part II) sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIVAbIDbIVAbI- DbDb · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
How it goes
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Somersault chords
How it goes
Evenly spaced chords roll across the beats, then flip into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 126 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: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression Part II)
What chords are in Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression Part II)?
The loop is Db – Ab – Db – Ab (IV – I – IV – I) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression Part II) in?
Ab major, at about 126 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression Part II)?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression Part II) 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.