Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Them Stems on piano
Written by Chris Stapleton, Jimmy Stewart & others
- G major
- 4/4
- 114 BPM
- I–V–I–IV loop
- 2006
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Them Stems in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – D – G – C
How it goes
Them Stems sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIDVGICIV- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Banana-peel slip
How it goes
Four steady beats on one note, then a quick slip down into the next bar. Musicians call it broken chord 8-8-8-8-7 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 102 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Running-late chords
How it goes
Misses beat 1, then hurries in with busy chords around the beats. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 114 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG
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Questions about Them Stems
What chords are in Them Stems?
The loop is G – D – G – C (I – V – I – IV) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Them Stems in?
G major, at about 114 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Them Stems?
Banana-peel slip: broken chord 8-8-8-8-7, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Them Stems 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.