Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play Rainmaker on piano
By Emmelie de Forest
- D major
- 4/4
- 96 BPM
- I–V–vi–IV loop
- Tricky
Learn Rainmaker in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – A – Bm – G
Rainmaker sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E; Bm is B, D and F#; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIAVBmviGIV- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- BmB · D · F#
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Thunder tremolo
An octave shaking fast: thunder and suspense. Musicians call it octave tremolo (tremolo), a tricky pattern heard in 150 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 96 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: G – A – D
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD
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Questions about Rainmaker
What chords are in Rainmaker?
The loop is D – A – Bm – G (I – V – vi – IV) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Rainmaker in?
D major, at about 96 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Rainmaker?
Thunder tremolo: octave tremolo, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Rainmaker easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.