Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Simple As This on piano
Written by Jake Kennedy & Matthew Prime
- Ab major
- 3/4
- 95 BPM
- IV–V–I–vi loop
- 2014
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Simple As This in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Eb – Ab – Fm
How it goes
Simple As This sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIVEbVAbIFmvi- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Seesaw bass
How it goes
Low, higher, low, higher on every beat: a steady seesaw. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-1-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 481 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
How it goes
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 95 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: Ab – Db – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbDbAb
Play next
Questions about Simple As This
What chords are in Simple As This?
The loop is Db – Eb – Ab – Fm (IV – V – I – vi) in Ab major, and the song ends on Ab – Db – Ab.
What key is Simple As This in?
Ab major, at about 95 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Simple As This?
Seesaw bass: root–fifth 1-5-1-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Simple As This 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.