Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Waka Waka on piano
By Shakira featuring Freshlyground
- D major
- 4/4
- 128 BPM
- I–V–vi–IV loop
- 2010
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Waka Waka in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – A – Bm – G
How it goes
Waka Waka sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E; 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.
DIAVBmviGIV- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- BmB · D · F#
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
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
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: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD
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Questions about Waka Waka
What chords are in Waka Waka?
The loop is D – A – Bm – G (I – V – vi – IV) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Waka Waka in?
D major, at about 128 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Waka Waka?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Waka Waka 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.