Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Popular Song on piano
Artist unknown
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 88 BPM
- I–V–IV–I loop
- Medium
Learn Popular Song in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Bb – Ab – Eb
Popular Song 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; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIBbVAbIVEbI- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 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: Pumping chords
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 88 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: Eb – Ab – Eb
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbAbEb
Play next
Questions about Popular Song
What chords are in Popular Song?
The loop is Eb – Bb – Ab – Eb (I – V – IV – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Ab – Eb.
What key is Popular Song in?
Eb major, at about 88 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Popular Song?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Popular Song 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.