How to Play Heart and Soul on Piano

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Contents

A step by step guide on how to play Heart and Soul on the piano.

Introduction

Heart and Soul is a popular song written by Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser in 1938. It has been recorded by many artists over the years, but the most popular version was recorded by Nat King Cole in 1961. The song has a simple chord progression that is easy to learn, making it a great choice for beginning piano players. The melody is also relatively easy to play, and can be learned using just a few simple concepts.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Start by playing the left hand melody. The left hand is playing a simple melody in the key of C. The right hand is playing chords. The chords are C, G, F, and D. Play the melody and chords together.

Find Middle C

Heart and Soul is a beautiful, simple song that anyone can learn to play on the piano. All you need is a little patience and practice, and you’ll be playing this classic in no time.

To start, find Middle C on your piano. This is the note that lies in between the two black keys in the center of your piano. Once you’ve found it, put your right thumb on Middle C and your left thumb on the E below it. These are the notes you’ll be playing for the first part of the song.

Play the Left-Hand Melody

Start by playing the left-hand melody. Place your left thumb on middle C, and play the notes in order using only your thumb, index finger, and middle finger. When you get to the end of the melody, repeat it.

Now, try playing the melody with your right hand. Place your right thumb on middle C, and play the notes in order using only your thumb, index finger, and middle finger. When you get to the end of the melody, repeat it.

Now that you have both hands going, try playing the melody with your left hand while keeping a steady beat with your right hand on any black key.

Play the Right-Hand Melody

Step 1:

Find middle C on the piano. This is the white key to the left of the set of two black keys in the center of the keyboard.

Step 2:

Place your right thumb on middle C.

Step 3:
With your right thumb still on middle C, place your right 3rd finger on the D key directly to the right of middle C. This note is one half step higher than middle C.

Step 4: Lift up both fingers and place your right 2nd finger on E, which is directly to the right of D. E is also one half step higher than D.
You should now have three notes being played by your right hand: Middle C (1st finger), D (2nd finger), and E (3rd finger).

Put It All Together

Now that you know the main melody and the chords, you can put it all together and play Heart and Soul! Here is a step-by-step guide:

1. Place your hands in the heart position on the piano.
2. Play the main melody of Heart and Soul with your right hand.
3. Play the chords with your left hand. The chord for each measure is listed above the notes.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you reach the end of the song.
5. Once you get comfortable with playing the melody and chords together, try playing Heart by yourself using only your right hand or using only your left hand.
6. Add some dynamics to your performance by playing softer or louder as appropriate.

Conclusion

That’s it! You now know how to play Heart and Soul on piano! Remember, the key to playing this song well is practice, practice, practice! With a little bit of effort, you’ll be playing this classic song like a pro in no time.

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