Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Writer In The Dark on piano
By Lorde
- G major
- 4/4
- 72 BPM
- 2017
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Writer In The Dark in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – Am – Em – Am
How it goes
Writer In The Dark sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIAmiiEmviAmii- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Giant steps
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, low and heavy, like a giant walking. Musicians call it lh chords (left-hand chords), 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 72 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
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Questions about Writer In The Dark
What chords are in Writer In The Dark?
The loop is G – Am – Em – Am (I – ii – vi – ii) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Writer In The Dark in?
G major, at about 72 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Writer In The Dark?
Giant steps: lh chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Writer In The Dark 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.