Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Runaway on piano
By 3 Doors Down
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- 2008
- Easy
Learn Runaway in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bbsus4 – Bb – Bbsus4 – Bb
Runaway sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bbsus4 is Bb, Eb and F; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bbsus4Vsus4BbVBbsus4Vsus4BbV- Bbsus4Bb · Eb · F
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Push and land
A push just before beat 3, then two calm landings. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Gospel-clap chords
Skips beat 1, then soulful chords that bounce off the “ands”. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Runaway
What chords are in Runaway?
The loop is Bbsus4 – Bb – Bbsus4 – Bb (Vsus – V – Vsus – V) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Runaway in?
Eb major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Runaway?
Push and land: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Runaway 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.