Steam Heat Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Steam Heat in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Eb – Ab7 – Eb – Ab7
How it goes
Steam Heat sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIAb7IV7EbIAb7IV7
- EbEb · G · Bb
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
24 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Little-hill climb
How it goes
Up the chord three steps, then a jump back to the starting note. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-1 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 159 songs of the library.
Little-hill climbBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Push chords
How it goes
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Push chordsSyncopated chords · RockRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 150 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 – Bb – Eb
How it goes
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

What chords are in Steam Heat?

The loop is Eb – Ab7 – Eb – Ab7 (I – IV7 – I – IV7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.

What key is Steam Heat in?

Eb major, at about 150 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Steam Heat?

Little-hill climb: broken chord 1-3-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Steam Heat 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.