Étude No. 2 — Philip Glass: piano chords
The full chord chart for Étude No. 2 by Philip Glass, bar by bar in the original key — and a free player that runs the chords in time with the record while you play.
The chords in Étude No. 2
Étude No. 2 by Philip Glass sits in C minor at a upbeat 118 BPM and moves through 9 chords. The harmony moves quickly and reaches beyond basic triads, so treat it as a goal song and let the player carry you through the hard bars.
Full chord chart, bar by bar
| Theme: Ab | C | Am | |||
| Theme II: Ab | D | Em | C | Am | |
| Development: Ab | C | G | F | ||
| Modulation: Fm | Eb | C | Em | G | F |
| Return: Am | Ab | C | |||
| Variation: Ab | C | Am | F | ||
| Climax: Ab | C | Am | F | Fm | |
| Coda: Am | Ab | C | G | Em |
Each cell is one bar. The free player scrolls this chart in sync with the recording and listens to your playing as you go.
Song structure
- 0:05Theme
- 0:50Theme II
- 1:43Development
- 2:01Modulation
- 2:32Return
- 3:20Variation
- 3:59Climax
- 4:32Coda
Learn the chords first
If any of these shapes are new, the free chord trainer teaches every chord in C minor — from plain triads to inversions — with real-song exercises. Then come back and play the record.
Quick answers
Is Étude No. 2 by Philip Glass hard to play on piano?
Étude No. 2 is an advanced piece: the harmony moves quickly and reaches beyond basic triads at 118 BPM. Treat it as a goal song rather than a starter.
What key is Étude No. 2 by Philip Glass in?
Étude No. 2 is in C minor, at around 118 BPM.
What are the chords in Étude No. 2 by Philip Glass?
The main chords are C, Ab, Am, F, Em, Fm, G, Eb and more — see the full bar-by-bar chart on this page.