Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Open Hands on piano
Artist unknown
- C major
- 4/4
- 138 BPM
- Medium
Learn Open Hands in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bbsus4 – C – F – Dm
Open Hands sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bbsus4 is Bb, Eb and F; C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bbsus4bVIIsus4CIFIVDmii- Bbsus4Bb · Eb · F
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- DmD · F · A
- 2
Left hand: Island pulse
Three, three, two: the island rhythm in so many pop hits. Musicians call it root bass · tresillo 3-3-2 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Rising chords
Up the chord and back in quick notes, gently lifting the song. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 138 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
Ending: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
Play next
Questions about Open Hands
What chords are in Open Hands?
The loop is Bbsus4 – C – F – Dm (bVIIsus – I – IV5 – ii) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Open Hands in?
C major, at about 138 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Open Hands?
Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Open Hands 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.