Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Don’t Sleep In The Subway on piano
Written by Tony Hatch & Jackie Trent
- C major
- 4/4
- 136 BPM
- 1967
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Don’t Sleep In The Subway in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Eb – G7 – C
How it goes
Don’t Sleep In The Subway sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIEbbIIIG7V7CI- CC · E · G
- EbEb · G · Bb
- G7G · B · 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: Shy chords
How it goes
Waits out beat 1, then a chord on 2 and a little double on 3. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 136 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- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
Play next
Questions about Don’t Sleep In The Subway
What chords are in Don’t Sleep In The Subway?
The loop is C – Eb – G7 – C (I – bIII – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Don’t Sleep In The Subway in?
C major, at about 136 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Don’t Sleep In The Subway?
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 Don’t Sleep In The Subway 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.