Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play When The Sun Goes Down on piano
Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 76 BPM
- 2008
- Medium
Learn When The Sun Goes Down in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bbsus4 – Ab – Bb – Bbsus4
When The Sun Goes Down sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bbsus4 is Bb, Eb and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bbsus4Isus4AbbVIIBbIBbsus4Isus4- Bbsus4Bb · Eb · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 76 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: Eb – F – Bb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
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Questions about When The Sun Goes Down
What chords are in When The Sun Goes Down?
The loop is Bbsus4 – Ab – Bb – Bbsus4 (Isus – bVII – I – Isus) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is When The Sun Goes Down in?
Bb major, at about 76 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in When The Sun Goes Down?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is When The Sun Goes Down 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.