Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Sweet Home Alabama on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Sweet Home Alabama in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: D – C – G – D – C – G
How it goes
Sweet Home Alabama sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: D is D, F# and A; C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DVCIVGIDVCIVGI
- DD · F# · A
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
92 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Lub-dub heartbeat
How it goes
Two quick beats, a pause, two quick beats: just like a real heart. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 3 · 3& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 294 songs of the library.
Lub-dub heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Lub-dub chords
How it goes
Two quick chords, a pause, two quick chords: just like a heartbeat. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Lub-dub chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 80 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: D – C – G
How it goes
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DCG

What chords are in Sweet Home Alabama?

The loop is D – C – G – D – C – G (V – IV – I – V – IV – I) in G major, and the song ends on D – C – G.

What key is Sweet Home Alabama in?

G major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Sweet Home Alabama?

Lub-dub heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1& · 3 · 3&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Sweet Home Alabama 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 Sweet Home Alabama?

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

Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.