Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Runaway (U&I) on piano
By Ed Sheeran
- Db major
- 4/4
- 126 BPM
- 2014
- Medium
Learn Runaway (U&I) in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gb – Bbm – Ab – Adim
Runaway (U&I) sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gb is Gb, Bb and Db; Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Adim is A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GbIVBbmviAbVAdimbvi°- GbGb · Bb · Db
- BbmBb · Db · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
- AdimA · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Pony-trot pulse
Quick trotting notes, then a jump over beat 3 to its “and”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 114 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 126 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: Gb – Ab – Db
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbDb- DbDb · F · Ab
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Questions about Runaway (U&I)
What chords are in Runaway (U&I)?
The loop is Gb – Bbm – Ab – Adim (IV – vi – V – bvio) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.
What key is Runaway (U&I) in?
Db major, at about 126 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Runaway (U&I)?
Pony-trot pulse: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Runaway (U&I) 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Runaway (U&I)?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.