Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Summertime Sadness on piano
By Lana Del Rey
- E major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 2012
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Summertime Sadness in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – C#m – B – F#m
How it goes
Summertime Sadness sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; C#m is C#, E and G#; B is B, D# and F#; F#m is F#, A and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIVC#mviBVF#mii- AA · C# · E
- C#mC# · E · G#
- BB · D# · F#
- F#mF# · A · C#
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
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: Heartbeat chords
How it goes
Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: A – B – E
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE- EE · G# · B
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Questions about Summertime Sadness
What chords are in Summertime Sadness?
The loop is A – C#m – B – F#m (IV – vi – V – ii) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Summertime Sadness in?
E major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Summertime Sadness?
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 Summertime Sadness 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.