Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Right Down The Line on piano
Written by Gerald Rafferty
- D minor
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- 1978
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Right Down The Line in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – C – Am – F
How it goes
Right Down The Line sits in D minor: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; C is C, E and G; Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiCVIIAmvFIII- DmD · F · A
- CC · E · G
- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Island pulse
How it goes
Three, three, two: the island rhythm in so many pop hits. Musicians call it root bass · tresillo 3-3-2 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Push chords
How it goes
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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: Bb – C – Dm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCDm- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Right Down The Line
What chords are in Right Down The Line?
The loop is Dm – C – Am – F (i – bVII – v – bIII) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.
What key is Right Down The Line in?
D minor, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Right Down The Line?
Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Right Down The Line 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.