Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Light On on piano
By David Cook
- C major
- 4/4
- 66 BPM
- IV–I–V–ii loop
- Medium
Learn Light On in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – C – G – Dm
Light On sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIVCIGVDmii- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- DmD · F · A
- 2
Left hand: Bubbly heartbeat
Steady beats filled with quick little pickups around beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 173 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 66 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
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Questions about Light On
What chords are in Light On?
The loop is F – C – G – Dm (IV – I – V – ii) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Light On in?
C major, at about 66 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Light On?
Bubbly heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Light On 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.