Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Stressed Out on piano
Written by Tyler Joseph
- A minor
- 4/4
- 84 BPM
- 2015
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Stressed Out in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – G – C – E
How it goes
Stressed Out sits in A minor: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiGVIICIIIEV- AmA · C · E
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Late-hop footsteps
How it goes
Steady low-high steps with one quick extra hop after beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 659 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Bouncy bells
How it goes
A high bell note, then chords bouncing on every “and”. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 84 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 – Am
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGAm- FF · A · C
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Questions about Stressed Out
What chords are in Stressed Out?
The loop is Am – G – C – E (i – bVII – bIII – V) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.
What key is Stressed Out in?
A minor, at about 84 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Stressed Out?
Late-hop footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Stressed Out 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.