How to play Runaway on piano

Learn Runaway in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Am – G – F – E7
How it goes
Runaway sits in A minor: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; G is G, B and D; F is F, A and C; E7 is E, G#, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiGVIIFVIE7V7
- AmA · C · E
- GG · B · D
- FF · A · C
- E7E · G# · B · D
6 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Little steps
How it goes
Up the chord and back, one step at a time. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-3 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 304 songs of the library.
Little stepsBroken chord · ClassicalLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Gear-shift chords
How it goes
Quick even chords that skip beat 3, like an engine changing gear. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Gear-shift chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 138 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: A – D – A
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ADA
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A

What chords are in Runaway?

The loop is Am – G – F – E7 (i – bVII – bVI – V7) in A minor, and the song ends on A – D – A.

What key is Runaway in?

A minor, at about 138 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Runaway?

Little steps: broken chord 1-3-5-3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Runaway 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.