Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play When A Heart Breaks on piano
Written by Dave Barnes & Ed Cash
- C major
- 4/4
- 75 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 2008
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn When A Heart Breaks in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – C – F
How it goes
When A Heart Breaks sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVCIFIV- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Dawdling footsteps
How it goes
Two steps, then a lazy late note after beat 3 that catches up on 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 222 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
How it goes
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 75 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 – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
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Questions about When A Heart Breaks
What chords are in When A Heart Breaks?
The loop is C – F – C – F (I – IV – I – IV) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is When A Heart Breaks in?
C major, at about 75 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in When A Heart Breaks?
Dawdling footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is When A Heart Breaks 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.