Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play The Dance on piano
By Prince
- E minor
- 2/2
- 121 BPM
- 2006
- Medium
Learn The Dance in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fmaj7 – Fmaj7 – Em7 – Em7
The Dance sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fmaj7 is F, A, C and E; Em7 is E, G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Fmaj7bIImaj7Fmaj7bIImaj7Em7i7Em7i7- Fmaj7F · A · C · E
- Em7E · G · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Stair steps
Three notes climb up the chord in the island rhythm. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 438 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 121 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: C – D – Em
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
- EmE · G · B
Play next
Questions about The Dance
What chords are in The Dance?
The loop is Fmaj7 – Fmaj7 – Em7 – Em7 (bIImaj7 – i7 – bIImaj7 – i7) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is The Dance in?
E minor, at about 121 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in The Dance?
Stair steps: broken chord 1-3-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Dance 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.
Can I hear the real melody of The Dance?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.