Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Maputo on piano
By Marcus Miller
- G minor
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- 1986
- Easy
Learn Maputo in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – Gm – Dm – Gm
Maputo sits in G minor: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmvGmiDmvGmi- DmD · F · A
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), 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 90 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: Eb – F – Gm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFGm- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Maputo
What chords are in Maputo?
The loop is Dm – Gm – Dm – Gm (v – i – v – i) in G minor, and the song ends on Eb – F – Gm.
What key is Maputo in?
G minor, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Maputo?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Maputo 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.