Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Sound the Bugle on piano
Written by Gavin Greenaway & Trevor Horn
- G major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 2002
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Sound the Bugle in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – Em – Bm – C
How it goes
Sound the Bugle sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; Em is E, G and B; Bm is B, D and F#; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DVEmviBmiiiCIV- DD · F# · A
- EmE · G · B
- BmB · D · F#
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
How it goes
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
How it goes
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- GG · B · D
Play next
Questions about Sound the Bugle
What chords are in Sound the Bugle?
The loop is D – Em – Bm – C (V – vi – iii – IV) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Sound the Bugle in?
G major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Sound the Bugle?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Sound the Bugle 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.