Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Like A Cowboy on piano
Written by Randy Houser & William Brice Long
- C major
- 2/2
- 140 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 2014
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Like A Cowboy in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – C – F
How it goes
Like A Cowboy sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVCIFIV- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Pausing footsteps
How it goes
Three even steps, then a quiet beat to breathe. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Dripping tap
How it goes
A soft chord, then the same note dripping steadily, drop by drop. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 140 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
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Questions about Like A Cowboy
What chords are in Like A Cowboy?
The loop is C – F – C – F (I – IV – I – IV) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Like A Cowboy in?
C major, at about 140 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Like A Cowboy?
Pausing footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Like A Cowboy 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.