Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Hell Hound On My Trail on piano
Written by Robert Johnson
- E major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- 1978
- Medium
Learn Hell Hound On My Trail in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E7 – A – C – E7
Hell Hound On My Trail sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E7 is E, G#, B and D; A is A, C# and E; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
E7I7AIVCbVIE7I7- E7E · G# · B · D
- AA · C# · E
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
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: Clockwork chords
Four quick, even chords per short bar, ticking like clockwork. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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 – E
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE- BB · D# · F#
- EE · G# · B
Play next
Questions about Hell Hound On My Trail
What chords are in Hell Hound On My Trail?
The loop is E7 – A – C – E7 (I7 – IV – bVI – I7) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Hell Hound On My Trail in?
E major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Hell Hound On My Trail?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hell Hound On My Trail 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.