Cartwheel heartbeat
Five evenly spaced notes roll across the beats, then land on 4. One of the root note patterns.
How to play it
Find the notes
Put your left hand over a C chord. It plays one note, C (little finger, 5).
Count and play
Count "1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a" (say "and" for &). Play C on 1, 1a, 2&, 3e and 4.
Move it with the chords
When the chord changes to G, the same rhythm moves to the notes of G: G. Play it slowly over the chord loop above, at 60% speed first, then faster.
Songs that use it
Questions
What is Cartwheel heartbeat on piano?
Five evenly spaced notes roll across the beats, then land on 4. The root alone in a fixed rhythm, octave jumps optional. The piano version of a kick-drum pattern. Musicians call it root bass, 1, 1a, 2&, 3e, 4.
Is Cartwheel heartbeat hard to play?
It is a beginner pattern. Play it with your left hand alone at 60% speed until it feels steady, then add the other hand.
Which songs use Cartwheel heartbeat?
I Want To Know What Love Is by Foreigner, What About Us by P!nk and Bad Liar by Imagine Dragons use Cartwheel heartbeat. The songs on this page all use it in the left hand, the most played first.