Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Parachute on piano

Written by Chris Stapleton & Jim Beavers

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Parachute in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: C – Bb – Dm – F
Parachute sits in D minor: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Bb is Bb, D and F; Dm is D, F and A; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CVIIBbVIDmiFIII
- CC · E · G
- BbBb · D · F
- DmD · F · A
- FF · A · C
2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Run-up chords
Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Run-up chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 150 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: Bb – C – Dm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCDm

What chords are in Parachute?

The loop is C – Bb – Dm – F (bVII – bVI – i – bIII) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.

What key is Parachute in?

D minor, at about 150 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Parachute?

Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Parachute 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.