Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play These Four Walls on piano
Written by Cheyenne Kimball, Scott Cutler & others
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 67 BPM
- IV–I–V–ii loop
- 2006
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn These Four Walls in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Ab – Eb – Bbm
How it goes
These Four Walls sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bbm is Bb, Db and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIVAbIEbVBbmii- DbDb · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbmBb · Db · F
- 2
Left hand: Bobbing boat
How it goes
High, higher, then a dive to the bottom and back: a bobbing boat. Musicians call it open arpeggio 8-12-1-8 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 141 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 67 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: Bbm – Db – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are ii – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbmDbAb
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Questions about These Four Walls
What chords are in These Four Walls?
The loop is Db – Ab – Eb – Bbm (IV – I – V – ii) in Ab major, and the song ends on Bbm – Db – Ab.
What key is These Four Walls in?
Ab major, at about 67 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in These Four Walls?
Bobbing boat: open arpeggio 8-12-1-8, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is These Four Walls 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.