These Days Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn These Days in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Gb – Db – Bbm – Ab
These Days sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gb is Gb, Bb and Db; Db is Db, F and Ab; Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GbIVDbIBbmviAbV
- GbGb · Bb · Db
- DbDb · F · Ab
- BbmBb · Db · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
51 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Lazy footstepsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Cartwheel chords
Five evenly spaced chords roll across the beats, then land on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Cartwheel chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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: Gb – Ab – Db
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbDb

What chords are in These Days?

The loop is Gb – Db – Bbm – Ab (IV – I – vi – V) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.

What key is These Days in?

Db major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in These Days?

Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is These Days 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.

Can I hear the real melody of These Days?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.