Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Three Empty Words on piano

By Shawn Mendes

Tuning the piano…
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Left hand Heartbeat octavesRight hand Heartbeat chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Learn Three Empty Words in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: C – G – D – Em

    Three Empty Words sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    CIVGIDVEmvi
    • CC · E · G
    • GG · B · D
    • DD · F# · A
    • EmE · G · B
    141 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Heartbeat octaves

    Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Heartbeat chords

    Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 160 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. 5

    Ending: C – D – G

    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 Three Empty Words

What chords are in Three Empty Words?

The loop is C – G – D – Em (IV – I – V – vi) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.

What key is Three Empty Words in?

G major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Three Empty Words?

Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Three Empty Words 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.