Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Go West on piano
By The Pet Shop Boys
- C major
- 4/4
- 125 BPM
- I–V–vi–iii loop
- 1979
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Go West in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – G – Am – Em
How it goes
Go West sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIGVAmviEmiii- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
How it goes
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Funky-chicken chords
How it goes
Chords dodge almost every beat in tricky quick spots: pure funk. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 125 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
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Questions about Go West
What chords are in Go West?
The loop is C – G – Am – Em (I – V – vi – iii) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Go West in?
C major, at about 125 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Go West?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Go West 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.