Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play In The Flesh on piano
Written by Deborah Harry & Chris Stein
- A major
- 6/8
- 104 BPM
- I–V–IV–V loop
- 1976
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn In The Flesh in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – E – D – E
How it goes
In The Flesh sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; E is E, G# and B; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIEVDIVEV- AA · C# · E
- EE · G# · B
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Rowing-boat pulse
How it goes
Six even low notes per bar, rolling along like oars on water. Musicians call it root bass · 6/8 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 240 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Cradle chords
How it goes
A chord, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 104 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: D – E – A
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA
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Questions about In The Flesh
What chords are in In The Flesh?
The loop is A – E – D – E (I – V – IV – V) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is In The Flesh in?
A major, at about 104 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in In The Flesh?
Rowing-boat pulse: root bass · 6/8 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is In The Flesh 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.