Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Take On Me on piano
By Pal Waaktaar and Magne Furuholmne
- A major
- 4/4
- 152 BPM
- 1984
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Take On Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bm – E – A – Dmaj7 – C#m7
How it goes
Take On Me sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: Bm is B, D and F#; E is E, G# and B; A is A, C# and E; Dmaj7 is D, F#, A and C#; C#m7 is C#, E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BmiiEVAIDmaj7IVmaj7C#m7iii7- BmB · D · F#
- EE · G# · B
- AA · C# · E
- Dmaj7D · F# · A · C#
- C#m7C# · E · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Tick-tick-boom pulse
How it goes
Two quick low notes and a high one, twice: ta-ta-DUM, ta-ta-DUM. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths 1-2, 3-4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 479 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
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 152 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: D – E – A
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA- DD · F# · A
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Questions about Take On Me
What chords are in Take On Me?
The loop is Bm – E – A – Dmaj7 – C#m7 (ii – V – I – IVmaj7 – iii7) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Take On Me in?
A major, at about 152 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Take On Me?
Tick-tick-boom pulse: root bass · 8ths 1-2, 3-4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Take On Me easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 5 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Take On Me?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.