Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play I Try To Think About Elvis on piano
Written by Gary Burr
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- 1994
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Try To Think About Elvis in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Ab7 – Eb – Cm
How it goes
I Try To Think About Elvis sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIAb7IV7EbICmvi- EbEb · G · Bb
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 140 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: Ab – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBb7Eb- AbAb · C · Eb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
Questions about I Try To Think About Elvis
What chords are in I Try To Think About Elvis?
The loop is Eb – Ab7 – Eb – Cm (I – IV7 – I – vi) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb7 – Eb.
What key is I Try To Think About Elvis in?
Eb major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Try To Think About Elvis?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Try To Think About Elvis 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.