Have you ever wanted to sit at the piano and play your favorite songs — but felt held back by complicated chords or theory? In this tutorial, you’ll discover how to play Let It Be by The Beatles using a simple yet powerful approach — making it perfect for beginners piano and voice students. The video shows how you can use fifth chords (sometimes called “power chords”) to get singing accompaniment up and running quickly.
Why Simple Piano Techniques Work
When we strip a song down to its essentials, we start to hear what really matters — phrasing, rhythm, and dynamics. Fifth chords capture the foundation of the harmony without clutter.
By focusing on just two notes, you get to experience the song’s structure and movement without being overwhelmed by theory. The sound still rings familiar, because the emotional “DNA” of the song is intact.
This makes it a great entry point for singers who want to accompany themselves or for teachers introducing chord-based playing for the first time.
The Power of Suggestion in Music
Music doesn’t always need every note spelled out to be understood. In fact, some of the most expressive performances come from what’s implied.
In this version of Let It Be, the ear fills in the harmony we’ve left out — the listener still hears the “Let it be, let it be…” moment because their brain completes the picture.
That’s what makes this approach so powerful for voice students: it encourages musical intuition. Students learn that you don’t have to play “everything” — you just need to play enough to communicate the song.
Power Chords: The Core Vocabulary of Pop and Rock
Every style of music has its own harmonic “vocabulary” — the tones and intervals that give it its distinctive accent.
In jazz, we often focus on the 3rd and 7th of the chord. Those two tones define the chord quality — major vs. minor — and they create the rich, conversational tension that jazz harmony is built on. A jazz musician might leave out the root entirely and still communicate the full harmonic story, because the 3rd and 7th speak the language of jazz.
In classical music, the focus often falls on the 1st (root) and 3rd. The harmonic structure supports melody through voice leading — everything moves with a sense of resolution and direction. Classical harmony tells a story through motion and contrast, using those strong foundational tones to create elegant form.
In pop and rock, though, the vocabulary shifts again. We lean heavily on the 1st and 5th. These tones are stable and powerful. They don’t color the chord with a clear major or minor identity; instead, they leave emotional space for the melody and lyrics to define the color. That’s what makes power chords so powerful — they’re harmonically open, stable, but rhythmically bold.
It’s the difference between painting with fine detail and painting with bold strokes. Pop and rock rely on that clarity — big, resonant intervals that drive the groove forward. You feel the pulse in your body before your brain even labels the harmony.
All of the music theory might sound complicated, but really you can get playing a song in five minutes or less. Check it out and subscribe below.