Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Neon on piano
Written by John Mayer & Clay Cook
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1999
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Neon in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Eb – Fm – Ab
How it goes
Neon sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmviEbIFmiiAbIV- CmC · Eb · G
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Rush-and-step pulse
How it goes
Three quick notes tumble out, a pause, then one high step on beat 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 157 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Eager chords
How it goes
Jumps in early before beat 3, like the chords can’t wait. 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Neon
What chords are in Neon?
The loop is Cm – Eb – Fm – Ab (vi – I – ii – IV) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Neon in?
Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Neon?
Rush-and-step pulse: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Neon 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.