Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Powdermilk Biscuit Theme on piano

By Garrison Keillor

Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Pop heartbeatRight hand Hopscotch bellsChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Powdermilk Biscuit Theme in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

  1. 1

    Chords: C – G – C – G

    How it goes

    Powdermilk Biscuit Theme sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    CIGVCIGV
    • CC · E · G
    • GG · B · D
    144 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Pop heartbeat

    How it goes

    Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Hopscotch bells

    How it goes

    A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 140 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. 5

    Ending: C – G – C

    How it goes

    The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    CGC

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Questions about Powdermilk Biscuit Theme

What chords are in Powdermilk Biscuit Theme?

The loop is C – G – C – G (I – V – I – V) in C major, and the song ends on C – G – C.

What key is Powdermilk Biscuit Theme in?

C major, at about 140 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Powdermilk Biscuit Theme?

Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Powdermilk Biscuit Theme 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.