Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Sway on piano
Written by Pablo Beltran Ruiz
- E minor
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- 1954
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Sway in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: B – Bm – B – Em – Bm – Em
How it goes
Sway sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: B is B, D# and F#; Bm is B, D and F#; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BVBmvBVEmiBmvEmi- BB · D# · F#
- BmB · D · F#
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Wobbly heartbeat
How it goes
Two off-balance notes on the “ands”, then a firm landing on beat 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 267 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
How it goes
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: C – D – Em
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about Sway
What chords are in Sway?
The loop is B – Bm – B – Em – Bm – Em (V – v – V – i – v – i) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Sway in?
E minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Sway?
Wobbly heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Sway 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 Sway?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.