Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Road Trippin’ on piano
Written by Anthony Kiedis, Flea & others
- E minor
- 4/4
- 103 BPM
- 1999
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Road Trippin’ in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – C – B – Em
How it goes
Road Trippin’ sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; C is C, E and G; B is B, D# and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiCVIBVEmi- EmE · G · B
- CC · E · G
- BB · D# · F#
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 103 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 – Em
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about Road Trippin’
What chords are in Road Trippin’?
The loop is Em – C – B – Em (i – bVI – V – i) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Road Trippin’ in?
E minor, at about 103 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Road Trippin’?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Road Trippin’ 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.