Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Tragedy on piano
Written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb & others
- C minor
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1979
- Easy
Learn Tragedy in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Gm – Cm – Gm
Tragedy sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiGmvCmiGmv- CmC · Eb · G
- GmG · Bb · D
- 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: Heartbeat chords
Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Ab – Bb – Cm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Tragedy
What chords are in Tragedy?
The loop is Cm – Gm – Cm – Gm (i – v – i – v) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is Tragedy in?
C minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Tragedy?
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 Tragedy 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 Tragedy?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure 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.