Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Red River on piano
Written by Tom Petty
- G major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 2013
- Medium
Learn Red River in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – G – Bb – G
Red River sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbbIIIGIBbbIIIGI- BbBb · D · F
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Racing heartbeat
One calm beat, then non-stop quick notes racing to the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 431 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Woodpecker taps
A chord, then a high note tapping again and again like a woodpecker. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: C – D – G
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
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Questions about Red River
What chords are in Red River?
The loop is Bb – G – Bb – G (bIII5 – I5 – bIII5 – I5) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Red River in?
G major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Red River?
Racing heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Red River 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.