Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Yesterdays on piano
- D minor
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- 1933
- Easy
Learn Yesterdays in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – Gm – Eb7 – A7
Yesterdays sits in D minor: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; Gm is G, Bb and D; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; A7 is A, C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiGmivEb7bII7A7V7- DmD · F · A
- GmG · Bb · D
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- A7A · C# · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Skip-and-stroll chords
A skippy push at the start, then calm chords on 3 and 4. 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: Bb – C – Dm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCDm- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
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Questions about Yesterdays
What chords are in Yesterdays?
The loop is Dm – Gm – Eb7 – A7 (i – iv – bII7 – V7) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.
What key is Yesterdays in?
D minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Yesterdays?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Yesterdays 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.