Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s
How to play The Diving Board on piano
By Elton John
- Bb major
- 12/8
- 111 BPM
- 2013
- Easy
Learn The Diving Board in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Db – Ab – Gm
The Diving Board sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Db is Db, F and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiiDbbIIIAbbVIIGmvi- CmC · Eb · G
- DbDb · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- GmG · Bb · D
- 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.
- 3
Right hand: Slow-dance chords
Four slow chords per bar under a swaying fifties ballad. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 111 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: Eb – F – Bb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
Play next
Questions about The Diving Board
What chords are in The Diving Board?
The loop is Cm – Db – Ab – Gm (ii – bIII – bVII – vi) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is The Diving Board in?
Bb major, at about 111 beats a minute in 12/8.
What does the left hand play in The Diving Board?
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 The Diving Board easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.