Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Hit The Road Jack on piano
By Ray Charles
- A minor
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 1961
- Easy
Learn Hit The Road Jack in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – F – E7 – Am – F – E7
Hit The Road Jack sits in A minor: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C; E7 is E, G#, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiFVIE7V7AmiFVIE7V7- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- E7E · G# · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Leapfrog pulse
One long note, then a quick hop that leaps right into beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2a · 3 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 153 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: F – G – Am
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGAm- GG · B · D
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Questions about Hit The Road Jack
What chords are in Hit The Road Jack?
The loop is Am – F – E7 – Am – F – E7 (i – VI – V7 – i – VI – V7) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.
What key is Hit The Road Jack in?
A minor, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Hit The Road Jack?
Leapfrog pulse: root bass · 1 · 2a · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hit The Road Jack easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Hit The Road Jack?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.