Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play The End Of The Innocence on piano
Written by Bruce Hornsby & Don Henley
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1987
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The End Of The Innocence in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Cm – Bbm – Db
How it goes
The End Of The Innocence sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Cm is C, Eb and G; Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmviCmiiiBbmiiDbIV- FmF · Ab · C
- CmC · Eb · G
- BbmBb · Db · F
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Sneaky heartbeat
How it goes
One strong note, then two sneaky ones hiding between the beats. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 436 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Bossa chords
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: soft Brazilian chords. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Eb – Db – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbDbAb- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
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Questions about The End Of The Innocence
What chords are in The End Of The Innocence?
The loop is Fm – Cm – Bbm – Db (vi – iii – ii – IV) in Ab major, and the song ends on Eb – Db – Ab.
What key is The End Of The Innocence in?
Ab major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The End Of The Innocence?
Sneaky heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2& · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The End Of The Innocence 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.