Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play Xo on piano
Written by Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash & others
- C major
- 4/4
- 84 BPM
- 2013
- Tricky
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Xo in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – F – Dm – Fsus4
How it goes
Xo sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C; Dm is D, F and A; Fsus4 is F, Bb and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmviFIVDmiiFsus4IVsus4- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- DmD · F · A
- Fsus4F · Bb · C
- 2
Left hand: Hummingbird shiver
How it goes
Two notes trembling super fast: a shiver of excitement. Musicians call it two-note tremolo (tremolo), a tricky pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 84 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
- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about Xo
What chords are in Xo?
The loop is Am – F – Dm – Fsus4 (vi – IV – ii – IVsus) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Xo in?
C major, at about 84 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Xo?
Hummingbird shiver: two-note tremolo, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Xo easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.