Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Partition on piano
Written by Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash & others
- Bb minor
- 4/4
- 96 BPM
- 2013
- Tricky
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Partition in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bbm – Db – Db – F
How it goes
Partition sits in Bb minor: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Db is Db, F and Ab; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbmiDbIIIDbIIIFV- BbmBb · Db · F
- DbDb · F · Ab
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hailstones
How it goes
The top note rattles in very quick bursts, like hail on a window. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 96 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: Gb – Ab – Bbm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbBbm- GbGb · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb
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Questions about Partition
What chords are in Partition?
The loop is Bbm – Db – Db – F (i – bIII5 – bIII – V5) in Bb minor, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Bbm.
What key is Partition in?
Bb minor, at about 96 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Partition?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Partition easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.