Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Take Back The Night on piano
Written by Justin Timberlake, James Fauntleroy & others
- B major
- 4/4
- 105 BPM
- 2013
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Take Back The Night in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – G – A – G
How it goes
Take Back The Night sits in B major: B is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbVIIGbVIAbVIIGbVI- AA · C# · E
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Hiccup heartbeat
How it goes
A tiny hiccup just before beat 3, then a push on the “and”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 121 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 105 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: E – F# – B
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EF#B- EE · G# · B
- F#F# · A# · C#
- BB · D# · F#
Play next
Questions about Take Back The Night
What chords are in Take Back The Night?
The loop is A – G – A – G (bVII – bVI – bVII – bVI) in B major, and the song ends on E – F# – B.
What key is Take Back The Night in?
B major, at about 105 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Take Back The Night?
Hiccup heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Take Back The Night 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.