Thunder Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Thunder in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: G – Am – F – G
Thunder sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GVAmviFIVGV
- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
23 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Hammering bass
The same note hammered on every quick beat, dipping only at the end. Musicians call it broken chord 8-8 (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 280 songs of the library.
Hammering bassBroken chord · BalladLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Rocking thirds
Two neighbouring chord notes rocking back and forth, soft and sweet. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Rocking thirdsTwo-note ostinato · PopRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 108 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: G – F – C
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GFC
- CC · E · G

What chords are in Thunder?

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

What key is Thunder in?

C major, at about 108 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Thunder?

Hammering bass: broken chord 8-8, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Thunder 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.