Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play The Sunken Lands on piano
By Rosanne Cash
- B minor
- 4/4
- 112 BPM
- 2014
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Sunken Lands in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bm – A – D – A
How it goes
The Sunken Lands sits in B minor: B is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bm is B, D and F#; A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BmiAVIIDIIIAVII- BmB · D · F#
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Stair steps
How it goes
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: Hand-clap chords
How it goes
Rests on beat 1, then clap-clap on 2 and one more clap on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 112 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: G – A – Bm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GABm- GG · B · D
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Questions about The Sunken Lands
What chords are in The Sunken Lands?
The loop is Bm – A – D – A (i – bVII – bIII – bVII) in B minor, and the song ends on G – A – Bm.
What key is The Sunken Lands in?
B minor, at about 112 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Sunken Lands?
Stair steps: broken chord 1-3-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Sunken Lands 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.