Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Mouth Of The River on piano
Written by Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon & others
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 96 BPM
- IV–I–V–vi loop
- 2017
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Mouth Of The River in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Ab – Eb – Fm
How it goes
Mouth Of The River sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIVAbIEbVFmvi- DbDb · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
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: Starlight twinkle
How it goes
A chord, then two high notes twinkling like distant stars. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 96 BPM
How it goes
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: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb
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Questions about Mouth Of The River
What chords are in Mouth Of The River?
The loop is Db – Ab – Eb – Fm (IV – I – V – vi) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Mouth Of The River in?
Ab major, at about 96 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Mouth Of The River?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Mouth Of The River 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.