“Golden Hour” (JVKE) Piano Tutorial

Kevin Castro / Pop/Rock / UPDATED Feb 9, 2024

“Golden Hour” by JVKE is the latest piano pop hit making the rounds. It’s a beautiful, ethereal song. And it also works as an excellent exercise to develop hand independence.

In this tutorial, I’ll teach you how to play the original and a slightly simplified version of the song.

Table of Contents:

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“Golden Hour” Piano Sheet Music

If you’re a Pianote+ Member, you can access the transcribed sheet music and our Practice Along feature in the Members Area. Slow down the tempo, loop the tricky parts, or have the keys light up when you play so you can make sure you’re hitting the right notes.

If you’re not a Member yet, try our Song Library for free with a trial.

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The Beginner Version – Theme & Chords

We’re in E major, which means we have four sharps to work with: F#, C#, G#, and D#. There are also some accidentals to keep in mind.

The main theme of the song is essentially four eighth-note patterns in the right hand. They create a glittery, shimmery effect reminiscent of the song’s music video.

Our easier take on the song uses just triads in the left hand as accompaniment. If you like chords, you can think of the song as moving through an Amaj – G#m – Gaug – F#m – Emaj7 progression.

What’s an augmented chord? Gaug is an augmented triad. You can think of an augmented triad as a major triad that’s been spread wider (“augmented”) by one half-step. This is because a G major triad would be G-B-D but a G augmented triad is G-B-D#. The Gaug chord in “Golden Hour” only appears for one measure, but the little tension it contributes gives the song so much depth.

The Original Version – Hands Together

The original version requires us to play eighth-note patterns in both hands, and each hand will play its own pattern!

Our left hand will basically outline the chords (Amaj – G#m – Gaug – F#m – Emaj7). You can think of the pattern as bottom-middle-top-middle-top-middle.

Practice your right and left hand patterns independently first. Putting them together is the tricky part and might take more practice! It looks easy, but having each hand play its own unique pattern is a brain workout.

Which is why this song is the perfect hand independence exercise! Plus it sounds super pretty ✨

Playing Tips

Here’s some practice tips to help you along:

The hand positions in this song are quite close together, so watch your posture and try to stay relaxed.
Always practice slowly at first!
Practice those transition points—that is, transitioning from chord to chord and pattern to pattern. Isolate these areas instead of practicing from top to bottom all the time.

And remember, have fun!

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Kevin Castro is a graduate of the prestigious MacEwan University with a degree in Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music, and is the Musical Director and touring pianist for JUNO-winning Canadian pop star, JESSIA. As your instructor at Pianote, Kevin is able to break down seemingly complex and intimidating musical concepts into understandable and approachable skills that you can not only learn, but start applying in your own playing. Learn more about Kevin here.

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