Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Timshel on piano
Artist unknown
- F major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- IV–I–IV–I loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Timshel in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – F – Bb – F
How it goes
Timshel sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIVFIBbIVFI- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Lighthouse blink
How it goes
A note and the one above flash in turn, steady as a lighthouse. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: F – Bb – F
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FBbF
Play next
Questions about Timshel
What chords are in Timshel?
The loop is Bb – F – Bb – F (IV – I – IV – I) in F major, and the song ends on F – Bb – F.
What key is Timshel in?
F major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Timshel?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Timshel 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.