Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Quimbara on piano
Written by Junior Cepeda
- E minor
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- bVII–i–bVII–i loop
- 1974
- Easy
Learn Quimbara in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – Em – D – Em
Quimbara sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DVIIEmiDVIIEmi- DD · F# · A
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Three-step climb
Root, fifth, octave, then let it ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: C – D – Em
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm- CC · E · G
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Questions about Quimbara
What chords are in Quimbara?
The loop is D – Em – D – Em (bVII – i – bVII – i) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Quimbara in?
E minor, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Quimbara?
Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Quimbara 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.