Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Photograph on piano
By Ed Sheeran
- E major
- 4/4
- 110 BPM
- 2014
- Medium
Learn Photograph in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – E – Bsus4 – B – B
Photograph sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: E is E, G# and B; Bsus4 is B, E and F#; B is B, D# and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIEIBsus4Vsus4BVBV- EE · G# · B
- Bsus4B · E · F#
- BB · D# · F#
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 110 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: A – B – E
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 Photograph
What chords are in Photograph?
The loop is E – E – Bsus4 – B – B (I – Vsus4 – V – I – Vsus4) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Photograph in?
E major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Photograph?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Photograph easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 5 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Photograph?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.