Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Mr. Roboto on piano

Written by Dennis Deyoung

Tuning the piano…
Learn it
Style

Left hand Heartbeat octavesRight hand Wait-a-beat chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Learn Mr. Roboto in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: F – C – F – C

    Mr. Roboto sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    FICVFICV
    • FF · A · C
    • CC · E · G
    144 songs go round the same chords
  2. 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. 3

    Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords

    Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 132 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. 5

    Ending: Bb – C – F

    The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    BbCF
    • BbBb · D · F

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Questions about Mr. Roboto

What chords are in Mr. Roboto?

The loop is F – C – F – C (I – V – I – V) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.

What key is Mr. Roboto in?

F major, at about 132 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Mr. Roboto?

Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Mr. Roboto 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.