Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Drive By on piano
Artist unknown
- C# minor
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- i–bVI–bIII–bVII loop
- Easy
Learn Drive By in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C#m – A – E – B
Drive By sits in C# minor: C# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C#m is C#, E and G#; A is A, C# and E; E is E, G# and B; B is B, D# and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C#miAVIEIIIBVII- C#mC# · E · G#
- AA · C# · E
- EE · G# · B
- BB · D# · F#
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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 – B – C#m
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABC#m
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Questions about Drive By
What chords are in Drive By?
The loop is C#m – A – E – B (i – bVI – bIII – bVII) in C# minor, and the song ends on A – B – C#m.
What key is Drive By in?
C# minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Drive By?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Drive By 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.