Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Nowhere To Run on piano
Written by Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland & others
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–v–IV–I loop
- 1965
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Nowhere To Run in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Ebm – Db – Ab
How it goes
Nowhere To Run sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Ebm is Eb, Gb and Bb; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIEbmvDbIVAbI- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbmEb · Gb · Bb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 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.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Nowhere To Run
What chords are in Nowhere To Run?
The loop is Ab – Ebm – Db – Ab (I – v – IV – I) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Nowhere To Run in?
Ab major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Nowhere To Run?
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 Nowhere To Run 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.