Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play Southbound Train on piano
By Julie Gold
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- Tricky
Learn Southbound Train in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – F – Bb – F
Southbound Train sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIFIBbIVFI- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Big sweep
Two octaves in one sweep: the film-score sound. Musicians call it wide arpeggio 8-12-15-1-5-8 (wide arpeggio), a tricky pattern heard in 131 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: C – Bb – F
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CBbF- CC · E · G
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Questions about Southbound Train
What chords are in Southbound Train?
The loop is F – F – Bb – F (I5 – I – IV – I5) in F major, and the song ends on C – Bb – F.
What key is Southbound Train in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Southbound Train?
Big sweep: wide arpeggio 8-12-15-1-5-8, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Southbound Train easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.