Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Pressure on piano
By Billy Joel
- F major
- 4/4
- 144 BPM
- 1981
- Easy
Learn Pressure in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – C#dim – Dm – Gm
Pressure sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; C#dim is C#, E and G; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmiiC#dimbvi°DmviGmii- GmG · Bb · D
- C#dimC# · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 144 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Pressure
What chords are in Pressure?
The loop is Gm – C#dim – Dm – Gm (ii – bvio – vi – ii) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Pressure in?
F major, at about 144 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Pressure?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Pressure 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.