Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Real Love on piano
By John Lennon
- C major
- 4/4
- 125 BPM
- vi–I–IV–I loop
- 1988
- Medium
Learn Real Love in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – C – F – C
Real Love sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmviCIFIVCI- AmA · C · E
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Tap-dance footsteps
Busy little taps around beat 2, then two calm steps to finish. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 100 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 125 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
Play next
Questions about Real Love
What chords are in Real Love?
The loop is Am – C – F – C (vi – I – IV – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Real Love in?
C major, at about 125 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Real Love?
Tap-dance footsteps: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Real Love easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.