Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Pyramids on piano
Written by Frank Ocean, James Ho & others
- F minor
- 4/4
- 65 BPM
- 2012
- Easy
Learn Pyramids in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Db – Csus4 – Bbm
Pyramids sits in F minor: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Db is Db, F and Ab; Csus4 is C, F and G; Bbm is Bb, Db and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmiDbVICsus4Vsus4Bbmiv- FmF · Ab · C
- DbDb · F · Ab
- Csus4C · F · G
- BbmBb · Db · F
- 2
Left hand: Knock-knock footsteps
Step, then a quick knock-knock, a pause, and one last step. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 471 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Push chords
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 65 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: Db – Eb – Fm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbFm- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Pyramids
What chords are in Pyramids?
The loop is Fm – Db – Csus4 – Bbm (i – bVI – Vsus – iv) in F minor, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Fm.
What key is Pyramids in?
F minor, at about 65 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Pyramids?
Knock-knock footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Pyramids 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.