Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play My Back Pages on piano
By Bob Dylan
- Eb major
- 3/4
- 100 BPM
- 1964
- Easy
Learn My Back Pages in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Eb – Fm – Bb7
My Back Pages sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIVEbIFmiiBb7V7- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Moonlit climb
Three notes rising to a soft, jazzy top note in three, left to ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-7 (3/4) (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 211 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Waltz chords
A chord on each of the three beats: a simple waltz. 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about My Back Pages
What chords are in My Back Pages?
The loop is Ab – Eb – Fm – Bb7 (IV – I – ii – V7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is My Back Pages in?
Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in My Back Pages?
Moonlit climb: broken chord 1-5-7 (3/4), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is My Back Pages 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.