Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Witness on piano
By Katy Perry
- C# minor
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 2017
- Easy
Learn Witness in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – F#m – C#m – A
Witness sits in C# minor: C# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; F#m is F#, A and C#; C#m is C#, E and G#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AVIF#mivC#miAVI- AA · C# · E
- F#mF# · A · C#
- C#mC# · E · G#
- 2
Left hand: Stumbling footsteps
Steady steps with one tiny stumble right before beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 146 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Run-up chords
Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: A – B – C#m
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABC#m- BB · D# · F#
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Questions about Witness
What chords are in Witness?
The loop is A – F#m – C#m – A (bVI – iv – i – bVI) in C# minor, and the song ends on A – B – C#m.
What key is Witness in?
C# minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Witness?
Stumbling footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Witness 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.