Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Secrets on piano
Written by Ryan Tedder
- D major
- 4/4
- 75 BPM
- I–iii–vi–IV loop
- 2009
- Medium
Learn Secrets in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – F#m – Bm – G
Secrets sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; F#m is F#, A and C#; 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.
DIF#miiiBmviGIV- DD · F# · A
- F#mF# · A · C#
- BmB · D · F#
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 75 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- AA · C# · E
Play next
Questions about Secrets
What chords are in Secrets?
The loop is D – F#m – Bm – G (I – iii – vi – IV) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Secrets in?
D major, at about 75 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Secrets?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Secrets 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.