Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Nothing To Lose on piano
Written by James David Washington & Timbaland
- C minor
- 4/4
- 84 BPM
- 2015
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Nothing To Lose in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – C7 – Bb – Ab
How it goes
Nothing To Lose sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbVIC7I7BbVIIAbVI- AbAb · C · Eb
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Fluttering heartbeat
How it goes
A quick flutter before beat 2, then a push before beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 152 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 84 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 – Cm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm- CmC · Eb · G
Play next
Questions about Nothing To Lose
What chords are in Nothing To Lose?
The loop is Ab – C7 – Bb – Ab (bVI – I7 – bVII – bVI) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is Nothing To Lose in?
C minor, at about 84 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Nothing To Lose?
Fluttering heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Nothing To Lose 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.