Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play When The Beat Drops Out on piano
By Marlon Roudette
- F minor
- 4/4
- 110 BPM
- Easy
Learn When The Beat Drops Out in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Eb – Db – Bbm
When The Beat Drops Out sits in F minor: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Db is Db, F and Ab; Bbm is Bb, Db and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmiEbVIIDbVIBbmiv- FmF · Ab · C
- EbEb · G · Bb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- BbmBb · Db · F
- 2
Left hand: Rush-and-step pulse
Three quick notes tumble out, a pause, then one high step on beat 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 157 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Dance-floor chords
Off-centre chords keep landing between the beats: a dance-floor groove. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 110 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: Db – Eb – Fm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbFm
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Questions about When The Beat Drops Out
What chords are in When The Beat Drops Out?
The loop is Fm – Eb – Db – Bbm (i – bVII – bVI – iv) in F minor, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Fm.
What key is When The Beat Drops Out in?
F minor, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in When The Beat Drops Out?
Rush-and-step pulse: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is When The Beat Drops Out 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.