Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Sugar Mountain on piano
By Neil Young
- F major
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- Easy
Learn Sugar Mountain in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – F – Cm – F
Sugar Mountain sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmvFICmvFI- CmC · Eb · G
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about Sugar Mountain
What chords are in Sugar Mountain?
The loop is Cm – F – Cm – F (v – I – v – I) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Sugar Mountain in?
F major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Sugar Mountain?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Sugar Mountain 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.