Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Valentine on piano
By Jim Brickman with Martina McBride
- D major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- V–I–vi–IV loop
- 1996
- Medium
Learn Valentine in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – D – Bm – G
Valentine sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A; Bm is B, D and F#; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AVDIBmviGIV- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- BmB · D · F#
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Dreamy wave
Rolls up through a soft extra note: a dreamy, open, modern sound. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-9-10 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 129 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Bouncy-ball chords
One chord, then chords bouncing on every “and”, like a ball. 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: G – A7 – D
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GA7D- A7A · C# · E · G
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Questions about Valentine
What chords are in Valentine?
The loop is A – D – Bm – G (V – I – vi – IV) in D major, and the song ends on G – A7 – D.
What key is Valentine in?
D major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Valentine?
Dreamy wave: open arpeggio 1-5-9-10, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Valentine 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 5 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.