Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Magic Bus on piano
By The Who
- D major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1967
- Easy
Learn Magic Bus in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – Em – D – Am
Magic Bus sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; Em is E, G and B; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIEmiiDIAmv- DD · F# · A
- EmE · G · B
- AmA · C · E
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
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: Push chords
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: G – A – D
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Magic Bus
What chords are in Magic Bus?
The loop is D – Em – D – Am (I – ii – I – v) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Magic Bus in?
D major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Magic Bus?
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 Magic Bus 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.