How to play Testimony on piano

By Christopher Smith

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Testimony in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Asus4 – A – Asus4 – A
Testimony sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Asus4 is A, D and E; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Asus4Vsus4AVAsus4Vsus4AV
- Asus4A · D · E
- AA · C# · E
2
Left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat
Four slow, deep beats under a swaying fifties ballad. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 134 songs of the library.
Slow-dance heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · 50s doo-wopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Doo-wop chords
Three soft chords on every slow beat: the classic 1950s ballad sound. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Doo-wop chordsPumping 8ths · 50s doo-wopRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 120 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: Asus4 – A – D
The last chords are Vsus – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
Asus4AD
- DD · F# · A

What chords are in Testimony?

The loop is Asus4 – A – Asus4 – A (Vsus – V – Vsus – V) in D major, and the song ends on Asus4 – A – D.

What key is Testimony in?

D major, at about 120 beats a minute in 12/8.

What does the left hand play in Testimony?

Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Testimony 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.