Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Let It Rain on piano
By David Nail
- E major
- 4/4
- 78 BPM
- I–vi–V–IV loop
- 2010
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Let It Rain in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – C#m – B – A
How it goes
Let It Rain sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; C#m is C#, E and G#; B is B, D# and F#; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIC#mviBVAIV- EE · G# · B
- C#mC# · E · G#
- BB · D# · F#
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Gear-shift pulse
How it goes
Quick even notes that skip beat 3, like an engine changing gear. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 181 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 78 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: A – B – E
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE
Play next
Questions about Let It Rain
What chords are in Let It Rain?
The loop is E – C#m – B – A (I – vi – V – IV) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Let It Rain in?
E major, at about 78 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Let It Rain?
Gear-shift pulse: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Let It Rain 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.