Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Remote Control on piano
By The Clash
- C major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- I–V–IV–I loop
- 1977
- Medium
Learn Remote Control in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – G – F – C
Remote Control sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIGVFIVCI- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- FF · A · C
- 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: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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 – F – C
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CFC
Play next
Questions about Remote Control
What chords are in Remote Control?
The loop is C – G – F – C (I – V – IV – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – F – C.
What key is Remote Control in?
C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Remote Control?
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 Remote Control 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.