Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Little Lies on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Little Lies in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: C – G – Am – F
Little Lies sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIGVAmviFIV
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
266 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Hop-skip heartbeat
Three steps, then a quick hop that skips right over beat 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 250 songs of the library.
Hop-skip heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Offbeat skankOffbeat chords · Blues and boogie-woogieRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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: Am – F – C
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AmFC

What chords are in Little Lies?

The loop is C – G – Am – F (I – V – vi – IV) in C major, and the song ends on Am – F – C.

What key is Little Lies in?

C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Little Lies?

Hop-skip heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Little Lies easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.