Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

How to play Salt Lake City on piano

By The Beach Boys

Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Rock’n’roll climbThe right hand sings the tuneChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Salt Lake City in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

  1. 1

    Chords: C – F – C – F

    How it goes

    Salt Lake City sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: 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.

    CIFIVCIFIV
    • CC · E · G
    • FF · A · C
    782 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Rock’n’roll climb

    How it goes

    Up three chord notes and one step past: the 1950s rock’n’roll climb. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-6 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 204 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: the chords, held

    How it goes

    In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 120 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. 5

    Ending: Dm – G7 – C

    How it goes

    The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    DmG7C
    • DmD · F · A
    • G7G · B · D · F

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Questions about Salt Lake City

What chords are in Salt Lake City?

The loop is C – F – C – F (I – IV – I – IV) in C major, and the song ends on Dm – G7 – C.

What key is Salt Lake City in?

C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Salt Lake City?

Rock’n’roll climb: broken chord 1-3-5-6, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Salt Lake City 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.