Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play My Heart Is Open on piano
Written by Adam Levine, Ben Levin & others
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- vi–IV–I–vi loop
- 2014
- Tricky
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn My Heart Is Open in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – F – C – Am
How it goes
My Heart Is Open sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; 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.
AmviFIVCIAmvi- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Big sweep
How it goes
Two octaves in one sweep: the film-score sound. Musicians call it wide arpeggio 8-12-15-1-5-8 (wide arpeggio), a tricky pattern heard in 131 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
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Questions about My Heart Is Open
What chords are in My Heart Is Open?
The loop is Am – F – C – Am (vi – IV – I – vi) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is My Heart Is Open in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in My Heart Is Open?
Big sweep: wide arpeggio 8-12-15-1-5-8, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is My Heart Is Open easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.