Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Take Me To The River on piano
Written by Al Green & Mabon Hodges
- E major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1974
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Take Me To The River in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – E7 – D – A
How it goes
Take Me To The River sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; E7 is E, G#, B and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIVE7I7DbVIIAIV- AA · C# · E
- E7E · G# · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Lub-dub chords
How it goes
Two quick chords, a pause, two quick chords: just like a heartbeat. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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 – B – E
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE- BB · D# · F#
- EE · G# · B
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Questions about Take Me To The River
What chords are in Take Me To The River?
The loop is A – E7 – D – A (IV – I7 – bVII – IV) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Take Me To The River in?
E major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Take Me To The River?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Take Me To The River easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.