Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Sail On on piano
- D major
- 4/4
- 73 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Sail On in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – Dsus4 – D – Em
How it goes
Sail On sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; Dsus4 is D, G and A; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIDsus4Isus4DIEmii- DD · F# · A
- Dsus4D · G · A
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Fluttering heartbeat
How it goes
A quick flutter before beat 2, then a push before beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 152 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
How it goes
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 73 BPM
How it goes
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
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Sail On
What chords are in Sail On?
The loop is D – Dsus4 – D – Em (I – Isus – I – ii) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Sail On in?
D major, at about 73 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Sail On?
Fluttering heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Sail On 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.