Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play I Shall Be Released on piano
By Bob Dylan
- A major
- 4/4
- 144 BPM
- Easy
Learn I Shall Be Released in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – Bm – C#m – E7
I Shall Be Released sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; Bm is B, D and F#; C#m is C#, E and G#; E7 is E, G#, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIBmiiC#miiiE7V7- AA · C# · E
- BmB · D · F#
- C#mC# · E · G#
- E7E · G# · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Three-step climb
Root, fifth, octave, then let it ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 144 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 – D – A
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ADA- DD · F# · A
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Questions about I Shall Be Released
What chords are in I Shall Be Released?
The loop is A – Bm – C#m – E7 (I – ii – iii – V7) in A major, and the song ends on A – D – A.
What key is I Shall Be Released in?
A major, at about 144 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Shall Be Released?
Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Shall Be Released 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.