Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Leaving On A Jet Plane on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Leaving On A Jet Plane in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: G – C – G – C – Em7
How it goes
Leaving On A Jet Plane sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G; Em7 is E, G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GICIVGICIVEm7vi7
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- Em7E · G · B · D
782 songs go round the same chords
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.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
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.
Wait-a-beat chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 110 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: C – D7 – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CD7G
- D7D · F# · A · C

What chords are in Leaving On A Jet Plane?

The loop is G – C – G – C – Em7 (I – IV – I – IV – vi7) in G major, and the song ends on C – D7 – G.

What key is Leaving On A Jet Plane in?

G major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Leaving On A Jet Plane?

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 Leaving On A Jet Plane easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Leaving On A Jet Plane?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.