Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Paper Houses on piano
Written by Niall Horan & Iain Archer
- E major
- 6/8
- 88 BPM
- vi–V–I–vi loop
- 2017
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Paper Houses in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C#m – B – E – C#m
How it goes
Paper Houses sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C#m is C#, E and G#; B is B, D# and F#; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C#mviBVEIC#mvi- C#mC# · E · G#
- BB · D# · F#
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Cradle pulse
How it goes
A deep note, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 160 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Tug-of-war chords
How it goes
Four even chords stretched across a rocking bar: a gentle push and pull. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 88 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 – B – E
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE- AA · C# · E
Play next
Questions about Paper Houses
What chords are in Paper Houses?
The loop is C#m – B – E – C#m (vi – V – I – vi) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Paper Houses in?
E major, at about 88 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Paper Houses?
Cradle pulse: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Paper Houses 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.