Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Tightrope on piano
By Janelle Monae
- F minor
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 2010
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Tightrope in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – Dm – Gm – Bbm
How it goes
Tightrope sits in F minor: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Dm is D, F and A; Gm is G, Bb and D; Bbm is Bb, Db and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIDmviGmiiBbmiv- FF · A · C
- DmD · F · A
- GmG · Bb · D
- BbmBb · Db · F
- 2
Left hand: Eager heartbeat
How it goes
Jumps in early on the “and” before beat 3, like it can’t wait. Musicians call it root bass · pop push 1 · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 403 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: Db – Eb – Fm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbFm- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
Play next
Questions about Tightrope
What chords are in Tightrope?
The loop is F – Dm – Gm – Bbm (I – vi – ii – iv) in F minor, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Fm.
What key is Tightrope in?
F minor, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Tightrope?
Eager heartbeat: root bass · pop push 1 · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Tightrope 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.