Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Drive My Car on piano

Written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Run-up footstepsRight hand Peekaboo chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Drive My Car in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

  1. 1

    Chords: D – G – D – G

    How it goes

    Drive My Car sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    DIGIVDIGIV
    • DD · F# · A
    • GG · B · D
    782 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Run-up footsteps

    How it goes

    Four steady steps plus a quick extra one that leads into the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 581 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Peekaboo chords

    How it goes

    A chord on 2, then two surprises popping up between the beats. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 110 BPM

    How it goes

    Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.

  5. 5

    Ending: G – A – D

    How it goes

    The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    GAD
    • AA · C# · E

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Questions about Drive My Car

What chords are in Drive My Car?

The loop is D – G – D – G (I – IV – I – IV) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.

What key is Drive My Car in?

D major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Drive My Car?

Run-up footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Drive My Car easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.