Piano chords · Film & wonder

How to play Mad World on piano

By Jennifer Ann

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Mad World in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Am – C – G – D
Mad World sits in A minor: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiCIIIGVIIDIV
- AmA · C · E
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
2
Left hand: Rainbow sweep
Five notes arc up two octaves like a rainbow, then let it ring. Musicians call it wide arpeggio 1-5-8-10-15 (wide arpeggio), a tricky pattern heard in 78 songs of the library.
Rainbow sweepWide arpeggio · Film scoreLeft handTricky
3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
4
Both hands at 85 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 – Am
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGAm
- FF · A · C

What chords are in Mad World?

The loop is Am – C – G – D (i – III – VII – IV) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.

What key is Mad World in?

A minor, at about 85 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Mad World?

Rainbow sweep: wide arpeggio 1-5-8-10-15, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Mad World easy to play on piano?

It is a tricky one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.

Can I hear the real melody of Mad World?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

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