Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Band On The Run on piano
Written by Paul & Linda McCartney
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 1974
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Band On The Run in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – C – F
How it goes
Band On The Run sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVCIFIV- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
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Questions about Band On The Run
What chords are in Band On The Run?
The loop is C – F – C – F (I – IV – I – IV) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Band On The Run in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Band On The Run?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Band On The Run easy to play on piano?
It is a medium 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.