Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Photograph on piano
By Nickelback
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 76 BPM
- Easy
Learn Photograph in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Bb – Db – Ab
Photograph sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Db is Db, F and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIBbVDbbVIIAbIV- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- DbDb · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Hurry-and-wait pulse
Three quick notes rush out early, then the bass waits for the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 336 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Cartwheel chords
Five evenly spaced chords roll across the beats, then land on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 76 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb
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Questions about Photograph
What chords are in Photograph?
The loop is Eb – Bb – Db – Ab (I5 – V – bVII – IV) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Photograph in?
Eb major, at about 76 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Photograph?
Hurry-and-wait pulse: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Photograph 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.