Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Seek Ye First on piano
By Karen Lafferty
- D major
- 2/2
- 136 BPM
- I–V–vi–I loop
- 1972
- Easy
Learn Seek Ye First in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – A – Bm – D
Seek Ye First 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#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIAVBmviDI- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- BmB · D · F#
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of 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 136 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: Asus4 – A – D
The last chords are Vsus – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
Asus4AD- Asus4A · D · E
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Questions about Seek Ye First
What chords are in Seek Ye First?
The loop is D – A – Bm – D (I – V – vi – I) in D major, and the song ends on Asus4 – A – D.
What key is Seek Ye First in?
D major, at about 136 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Seek Ye First?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Seek Ye First 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.