Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Gasoline Alley on piano
By Rod Stewart
- E major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Gasoline Alley in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bm – A – E – Bm
How it goes
Gasoline Alley sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bm is B, D and F#; A is A, C# and E; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BmvAIVEIBmv- BmB · D · F#
- AA · C# · E
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
How it goes
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Run-up chords
How it goes
Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar. 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: E – D – E
How it goes
The last chords are I – bVII – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EDE- DD · F# · A
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Questions about Gasoline Alley
What chords are in Gasoline Alley?
The loop is Bm – A – E – Bm (v – IV – I – v) in E major, and the song ends on E – D – E.
What key is Gasoline Alley in?
E major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Gasoline Alley?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Gasoline Alley 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.