Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play On The Other Side Of The Tracks on piano
Written by Cy Coleman
- G major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- 1962
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn On The Other Side Of The Tracks in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – Dm – G7 – C
How it goes
On The Other Side Of The Tracks sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; Dm is D, F and A; G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7V7DmvG7I7CIV- D7D · F# · A · C
- DmD · F · A
- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Pony-trot pulse
How it goes
Quick trotting notes, then a jump over beat 3 to its “and”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 114 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Eager chords
How it goes
Jumps in early before beat 3, like the chords can’t wait. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 140 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 – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
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Questions about On The Other Side Of The Tracks
What chords are in On The Other Side Of The Tracks?
The loop is D7 – Dm – G7 – C (V7 – v – I7 – IV) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is On The Other Side Of The Tracks in?
G major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in On The Other Side Of The Tracks?
Pony-trot pulse: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is On The Other Side Of The Tracks 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.