Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Summer on piano

By Marcelo Zarvos

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Summer in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Am – G – C – C – Em – D
Summer sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Am is A, C and E; G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G; Em is E, G and B; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmivGIIICVICVIEmiDVII
- AmA · C · E
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- EmE · G · B
- DD · F# · A
2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
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.
Heartbeat octavesRocking octaves · RockLeft handEasy
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.
Steady chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
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: C – D – Em
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm

What chords are in Summer?

The loop is Am – G – C – C – Em – D (iv – III – VI – i – VII – iv) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.

What key is Summer in?

E minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Summer?

Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Summer easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Summer?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.