Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Stay on piano
Written by U2
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 95 BPM
- 1993
- Easy
Learn Stay in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Fm – Absus4 – Eb
Stay sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Absus4 is Ab, Db and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIFmiiAbsus4IVsus4EbI- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- Absus4Ab · Db · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Double-tap drop
The same note twice, long then short, then a drop to a lower note. Musicians call it broken chord 8-8-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 336 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Skipping-stone chords
One chord, then two bounces on the “ands”, like a stone on water. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 95 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Stay
What chords are in Stay?
The loop is Eb – Fm – Absus4 – Eb (I5 – ii – IVsus – I5) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Stay in?
Eb major, at about 95 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Stay?
Double-tap drop: broken chord 8-8-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Stay 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.