Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Bird On The Wire on piano
Artist unknown
- D major
- 3/4
- 95 BPM
- I–V–I–IV loop
- Medium
Learn Bird On The Wire in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – A – D – G
Bird On The Wire sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIAVDIGIV- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Oom-pah-pah
One strong beat and two light ones: a dance in three. Musicians call it waltz oom-pah-pah (waltz), an easy pattern heard in 526 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Twirling waltz chords
Chord, then a quick twirl of chords into beat 3. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 95 BPM
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: A – G – D
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AGD
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Questions about Bird On The Wire
What chords are in Bird On The Wire?
The loop is D – A – D – G (I – V – I – IV) in D major, and the song ends on A – G – D.
What key is Bird On The Wire in?
D major, at about 95 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Bird On The Wire?
Oom-pah-pah: waltz oom-pah-pah, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Bird On The Wire 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.