Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Last Christmas on piano
By Wham!
- Db major
- 4/4
- 106 BPM
- 1985
- Medium
Learn Last Christmas in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm7 – Bbm – Bbm7 – Ebm7 – Bbm7 – Ebm7 – Absus4 – Ab7
Last Christmas sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: Fm7 is F, Ab, C and Eb; Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Bbm7 is Bb, Db, F and Ab; Ebm7 is Eb, Gb, Bb and Db; Absus4 is Ab, Db and Eb; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Fm7iii7BbmviBbm7vi7Ebm7ii7Bbm7vi7Ebm7ii7Absus4Vsus4Ab7V7- Fm7F · Ab · C · Eb
- BbmBb · Db · F
- Bbm7Bb · Db · F · Ab
- Ebm7Eb · Gb · Bb · Db
- Absus4Ab · Db · Eb
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 106 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: Ebm – Ab7 – Db
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbmAb7Db- EbmEb · Gb · Bb
- DbDb · F · Ab
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Questions about Last Christmas
What chords are in Last Christmas?
The loop is Fm7 – Bbm – Bbm7 – Ebm7 – Bbm7 – Ebm7 – Absus4 – Ab7 (iii7 – vi – vi7 – ii7 – vi7 – ii7 – Vsus4 – V7) in Db major, and the song ends on Ebm – Ab7 – Db.
What key is Last Christmas in?
Db major, at about 106 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Last Christmas?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Last Christmas easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 8 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Last Christmas?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.