Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Mamma Mia on piano
By Abba
- D major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1975
- Medium
Learn Mamma Mia in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – D – G – G
Mamma Mia sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIDIGIVGIV- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Swinging lantern
Two notes far apart swing back and forth like a lantern in the wind. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 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: Em – A – D
The last chords are ii – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EmAD- EmE · G · B
- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Mamma Mia
What chords are in Mamma Mia?
The loop is D – D – G – G (I – IV – I – IV) in D major, and the song ends on Em – A – D.
What key is Mamma Mia in?
D major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Mamma Mia?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Mamma Mia 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Mamma Mia?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.