Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Thriller on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Thriller in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: C#m – E – F# – C#m
Thriller sits in C# minor: C# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C#m is C#, E and G#; E is E, G# and B; F# is F#, A# and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C#miEIIIF#IVC#mi
- C#mC# · E · G#
- EE · G# · B
- F#F# · A# · C#
2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Pausing chords
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Pausing chordsBlock chords · ClassicalRight 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: A – B – C#m
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABC#m
- AA · C# · E
- BB · D# · F#

What chords are in Thriller?

The loop is C#m – E – F# – C#m (i – bIII – IV – i) in C# minor, and the song ends on A – B – C#m.

What key is Thriller in?

C# minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Thriller?

Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Thriller 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.