Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play A Spaceman Came Travelling on piano
Written by Chris Deburgh
- E minor
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- i–bIII–bVII–bVI loop
- 1976
- Tricky
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn A Spaceman Came Travelling in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – G – D – C
How it goes
A Spaceman Came Travelling sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiGIIIDVIICVI- EmE · G · B
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Rocket sweep
How it goes
Climbs two octaves in two big leaps, soaring like a rocket. Musicians call it wide arpeggio 1-5-8-8-12-15 (wide arpeggio), a tricky pattern heard in 140 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
How it goes
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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
Ending: C – D – Em
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm
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Questions about A Spaceman Came Travelling
What chords are in A Spaceman Came Travelling?
The loop is Em – G – D – C (i – bIII – bVII – bVI) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is A Spaceman Came Travelling in?
E minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in A Spaceman Came Travelling?
Rocket sweep: wide arpeggio 1-5-8-8-12-15, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is A Spaceman Came Travelling easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.