Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Love Story on piano
By Taylor Swift
- D major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Love Story in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – D – A – A
How it goes
Love Story sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIDIAVAV- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: Bm – G – D
How it goes
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BmGD- BmB · D · F#
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Love Story
What chords are in Love Story?
The loop is D – D – A – A (I – V – I – V) in D major, and the song ends on Bm – G – D.
What key is Love Story in?
D major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Love Story?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Love Story 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Love Story?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the bass riff of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 7 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.