Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play On Your Way Down on piano
By Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
- A major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn On Your Way Down in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – E – F#m – D
How it goes
On Your Way Down sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; E is E, G# and B; F#m is F#, A and C#; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIEVF#mviDIV- AA · C# · E
- EE · G# · B
- F#mF# · A · C#
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Pausing footsteps
How it goes
Three even steps, then a quiet beat to breathe. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Lub-dub chords
How it goes
Two quick chords, a pause, two quick chords: just like a heartbeat. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: D – E – A
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA
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Questions about On Your Way Down
What chords are in On Your Way Down?
The loop is A – E – F#m – D (I – V – vi – IV) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is On Your Way Down in?
A major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in On Your Way Down?
Pausing footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is On Your Way Down 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.