Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Sympathy for the Devil on piano
Written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
- E major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–bVII–IV–I loop
- 1968
- Medium
Learn Sympathy for the Devil in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – D – A – E
Sympathy for the Devil sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIDbVIIAIVEI- EE · G# · B
- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
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: Ticking clock
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: A – B – E
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 Sympathy for the Devil
What chords are in Sympathy for the Devil?
The loop is E – D – A – E (I – bVII – IV – I) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Sympathy for the Devil in?
E major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Sympathy for the Devil?
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 Sympathy for the Devil 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.