Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Surf’s Up Tonight on piano
Written by James Moginie & Peter Garrett
- E major
- 4/4
- 118 BPM
- I–IV–iv–I loop
- 1997
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Surf’s Up Tonight in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – A – Am – E
How it goes
Surf’s Up Tonight sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; A is A, C# and E; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIAIVAmivEI- EE · G# · B
- AA · C# · E
- AmA · C · E
- 2
Left hand: Hurrying footsteps
How it goes
Calm steps in the first half, then twice as fast to the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 642 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Lingering chords
How it goes
Two chords, then a late one after beat 3 that hangs in the air. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 118 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- BB · D# · F#
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Questions about Surf’s Up Tonight
What chords are in Surf’s Up Tonight?
The loop is E – A – Am – E (I – IV – iv – I) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Surf’s Up Tonight in?
E major, at about 118 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Surf’s Up Tonight?
Hurrying footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Surf’s Up Tonight easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.