Tutorial: Imagine by John Lennon on the Piano
If there’s one song worth learning to play the piano for, it’s “Imagine” by John Lennon. In this tutorial, you’ll be able to play this iconic song on the piano. We’ll break down the song into its individual parts, starting with the intro, then moving on to the verse, chorus, and finally the bridge. By the end, you’ll be able to play the entire song.
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Gordon November
Gordon November
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Brief Overview of the Imagine Piano Tutorial
You can find the complete tutorial, including sheet music and visually displayed key presses, in this video on our YouTube channel. This blog post provides written instructions that you can use in addition.
The Intro
The intro consists of a simple triad. Instead of playing the triad with your right hand as in other tutorials, I recommend placing your thumb on C and playing the remaining two notes of the triad with your thumb and index finger.
This gives you enough fingers to play through the entire figure. A cool side effect is that you can play a small rhythm with your left hand. If you struggle with your left hand, take a look here.
Step-by-step Guide for the Intro:
- Triad in the right hand: Thumb on C, index and middle fingers on the remaining notes of the triad.
- Left Hand: Play the C as an octave note with it.
- Rhythm: In the left hand, you play a rhythmic bass (e.g., bum-bum-bum-chck).
Practice this a few times. If you like, save the video to your library and come back to it later.
The Verse
Now let’s move on to the verse. The melody repeats, so to make the verse more interesting, I’ll play a few chords with it:
- Left Hand: Start with the C major chord, followed by the F major chord (with C in the bass).
- Right Hand: Play the melody and integrate parts of the chord.
If you want to split the chords apart, you can put the bass in the left hand and parts of the chord in the right hand. This requires a bit of practice, but it will get easier over time.
The Chorus
Next, let’s move on to the chorus. The melody plays a central role, so let’s practice it first.
Chords in the Chorus:
- F major chord: Going down with the bass results in an A minor chord or F Major 7.
- D minor chord: Further down to the F major chord with C in the bass.
- G major chord: Going up with the melody.
Play the melody and watch your left hand to accompany the chords.
The Bridge
The bridge is a famous interlude in the song. Here too, we’ll arrange the melody on the piano.
Chords in the Bridge
- F major chord, G major, C major, E major: These chords are played one after another.
- Interludes: Keep the melody clear by playing the chords lower in the right hand.
Practice the melody and chords separately, then put them together.
Assembling the Song
Now that you know all parts of the song, it’s time to put everything together:
- Play the verse
- Go to the chorus
- Add the bridge
- Repeat the verse and chorus
- Conclude with the intro
With this structure, you have the entire song. Practice the parts until you can play them fluently.
Play Piano by Intuition
More Tips
If you enjoyed this tutorial, feel free to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more cool tutorials and expand your repertoire.
As a beginner, you should definitely check out this guide: Learning Piano for Beginners.
For more in-depth techniques and tips on intuitive piano playing, I recommend my free workshop. There you’ll learn how to work on songs independently and play them professionally.
Have fun practicing and see you next time!
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Play Piano by Intuition
Master Keys Without Sheet Music
With the new turbo training, you'll be proficient in every key signature within just a few weeks.
(no knowledge of sheet music required)
