Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Live It Up on piano
By John Legend
- Db major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- ii–V–ii–V loop
- 2004
- Easy
Learn Live It Up in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ebm – Ab – Ebm – Ab
Live It Up sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ebm is Eb, Gb and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbmiiAbVEbmiiAbV- EbmEb · Gb · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Gb – Ab – Db
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbDb- GbGb · Bb · Db
- DbDb · F · Ab
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Questions about Live It Up
What chords are in Live It Up?
The loop is Ebm – Ab – Ebm – Ab (ii – V – ii – V) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.
What key is Live It Up in?
Db major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Live It Up?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Live It Up 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.