Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Unconditionally on piano
By Katy Perry
- G major
- 4/4
- 128 BPM
- 2013
- Medium
Learn Unconditionally in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – Em – C – G
Unconditionally sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; Em is E, G and B; C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DVEmviCIVGI- DD · F# · A
- EmE · G · B
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Hurry-and-wait pulse
Three quick notes rush out early, then the bass waits for the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 336 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
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 128 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 – D – G
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GDG
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Questions about Unconditionally
What chords are in Unconditionally?
The loop is D – Em – C – G (V – vi – IV – I) in G major, and the song ends on G – D – G.
What key is Unconditionally in?
G major, at about 128 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Unconditionally?
Hurry-and-wait pulse: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Unconditionally 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Unconditionally?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.