Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play The Scientist on piano
By Coldplay
- F major
- 4/4
- 76 BPM
- 2002
- Medium
Learn The Scientist in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm7 – Bb – F – Fsus4
The Scientist sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm7 is D, F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C; Fsus4 is F, Bb and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Dm7vi7BbIVFIFsus4Isus4- Dm7D · F · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- Fsus4F · Bb · C
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 76 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: Dm – Bb – F
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DmBbF- DmD · F · A
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Questions about The Scientist
What chords are in The Scientist?
The loop is Dm7 – Bb – F – Fsus4 (vi7 – IV – I – Isus4) in F major, and the song ends on Dm – Bb – F.
What key is The Scientist in?
F major, at about 76 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Scientist?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Scientist 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 Scientist?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.