Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Midnight Shift on piano
Artist unknown
- A major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 1956
- Easy
Learn Midnight Shift in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – C – A – D7
Midnight Shift sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; C is C, E and G; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AICbIIIAID7IV7- AA · C# · E
- CC · E · G
- D7D · F# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Ping-pong bounce
High, low, high, low on every beat: a ping-pong bounce. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 302 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Push chords
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: D – E – A
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
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Questions about Midnight Shift
What chords are in Midnight Shift?
The loop is A – C – A – D7 (I – bIII – I – IV7) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Midnight Shift in?
A major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Midnight Shift?
Ping-pong bounce: broken chord 8-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Midnight Shift 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.