Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play The Long Grift on piano
Written by Stephen Trask
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1999
- Easy
Learn The Long Grift in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – G7 – F – E
The Long Grift sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; G7 is G, B, D and F; F is F, A and C; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIVG7II7FIEVII- BbBb · D · F
- G7G · B · D · F
- FF · A · C
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Dancing heartbeat
Notes dance around the beats, pushing ahead on the “ands”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 245 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleep-in chords
Quiet for half the bar, then three chords wake up near the end. 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- CC · E · G
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Questions about The Long Grift
What chords are in The Long Grift?
The loop is Bb – G7 – F – E (IV – II7 – I – VII) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is The Long Grift in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Long Grift?
Dancing heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Long Grift 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.