Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Northern Lights on piano
Written by Andy Stochansky, Shridhar Solanki & others
- D major
- 4/4
- 116 BPM
- I–V–IV–I loop
- 2010
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Northern Lights in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – A – G – D
How it goes
Northern Lights sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIAVGIVDI- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- GG · B · D
- 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: Dripping tap
How it goes
A soft chord, then the same note dripping steadily, drop by drop. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 116 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: A – G – D
How it goes
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AGD
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Questions about Northern Lights
What chords are in Northern Lights?
The loop is D – A – G – D (I – V – IV – I) in D major, and the song ends on A – G – D.
What key is Northern Lights in?
D major, at about 116 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Northern Lights?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Northern Lights 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.