Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Run 2 U on piano
Written by Jewel Kilcher & Lester A. Mendez
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- 2003
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Run 2 U in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – Dm – Cm – Gm
How it goes
Run 2 U sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; Dm is D, F and A; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmviDmiiiCmiiGmvi- GmG · Bb · D
- DmD · F · A
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Run-up footsteps
How it goes
Four steady steps plus a quick extra one that leads into the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 581 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Skipping-stone chords
How it goes
One chord, then two bounces on the “ands”, like a stone on water. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Run 2 U
What chords are in Run 2 U?
The loop is Gm – Dm – Cm – Gm (vi – iii – ii – vi) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Run 2 U in?
Bb major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Run 2 U?
Run-up footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Run 2 U 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.