Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Shadowland on piano
Written by Lebo M & Hans Zimmer
- C major
- 4/4
- 72 BPM
- 1997
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Shadowland in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – F – Am – E7
How it goes
Shadowland sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C; E7 is E, G#, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmviFIVAmviE7III7- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- E7E · G# · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Pony-trot pulse
How it goes
Quick trotting notes, then a jump over beat 3 to its “and”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 114 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sprint-and-stop chords
How it goes
Four quick chords in the first half, then a calm, empty second half. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 72 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about Shadowland
What chords are in Shadowland?
The loop is Am – F – Am – E7 (vi – IV – vi – III7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Shadowland in?
C major, at about 72 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Shadowland?
Pony-trot pulse: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Shadowland 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.