Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Last Day On Earth on piano
Written by Steven Curtis Chapman
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 2004
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Last Day On Earth in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Eb – Bb – Gm
How it goes
Last Day On Earth sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmviEbIBbVGmiii- CmC · Eb · G
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: River roll
How it goes
Flows up five notes with a little step near the top, like a river. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-9-10 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 242 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sprint-and-stop chords
How it goes
Four quick chords in the first half, then a calm, empty second half. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
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Questions about Last Day On Earth
What chords are in Last Day On Earth?
The loop is Cm – Eb – Bb – Gm (vi – I – V – iii) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Last Day On Earth in?
Eb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Last Day On Earth?
River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-8-9-10, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Last Day On Earth 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.