Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Phenomenon on piano
Written by Toby McKeehan & Paul Meany
- C minor
- 4/4
- 98 BPM
- i–iv–i–iv loop
- 2003
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Phenomenon in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Fm – Cm – Fm
How it goes
Phenomenon sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiFmivCmiFmiv- CmC · Eb · G
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
How it goes
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of 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 98 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- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
Play next
Questions about Phenomenon
What chords are in Phenomenon?
The loop is Cm – Fm – Cm – Fm (i – iv – i – iv) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is Phenomenon in?
C minor, at about 98 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Phenomenon?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Phenomenon 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.