Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Time on piano
By Culture Club
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 85 BPM
- Easy
Learn Time in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Cm – Adim – Eb
Time sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Cm is C, Eb and G; Adim is A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbICmviAdim#iv°EbI- EbEb · G · Bb
- CmC · Eb · G
- AdimA · C · Eb
- 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.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 85 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: Eb – Db – Eb
The last chords are I – bVII – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbDbEb- DbDb · F · Ab
Play next
Questions about Time
What chords are in Time?
The loop is Eb – Cm – Adim – Eb (I – vi – #ivo – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Db – Eb.
What key is Time in?
Eb major, at about 85 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Time?
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 Time 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Time?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.