Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Carefree Highway on piano
Written by Gordon Lightfoot
- F major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 1973
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Carefree Highway in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – Eb – Bb
How it goes
Carefree Highway sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CVFIEbbVIIBbIV- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- 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: 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 160 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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF
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Questions about Carefree Highway
What chords are in Carefree Highway?
The loop is C – F – Eb – Bb (V – I – bVII – IV) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Carefree Highway in?
F major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Carefree Highway?
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 Carefree Highway 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.