Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Take ’em Away on piano
Written by Critter Fuqua
- D major
- 4/4
- 132 BPM
- I–IV–I–vi loop
- 2003
- Medium
Learn Take ’em Away in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – G – D – Bm
Take ’em Away sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; G is G, B and D; Bm is B, D and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIGIVDIBmvi- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
- BmB · D · F#
- 2
Left hand: Boom-chick
Bass, chord, bass, chord: the bounce of ragtime and country. Musicians call it boom-chick (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 762 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Deep-breath chords
A breath on beat 1, then quick chords pumping to the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 132 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: Bm – A – D
The last chords are vi – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BmAD- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Take ’em Away
What chords are in Take ’em Away?
The loop is D – G – D – Bm (I – IV – I – vi) in D major, and the song ends on Bm – A – D.
What key is Take ’em Away in?
D major, at about 132 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Take ’em Away?
Boom-chick: boom-chick, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Take ’em Away 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.