Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Telephone on piano

By Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Telephone in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Fm – Ab – Bb – Fm
How it goes
Telephone sits in F minor: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmiAbIIIBbIVFmi
- FmF · Ab · C
- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
How it goes
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Heartbeat octavesRocking octaves · RockLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
How it goes
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Offbeat skankOffbeat chords · Blues and boogie-woogieRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 122 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: Db – Eb – Fm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbFm
- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb

What chords are in Telephone?

The loop is Fm – Ab – Bb – Fm (i – III – IV – i) in F minor, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Fm.

What key is Telephone in?

F minor, at about 122 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Telephone?

Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Telephone 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.

Can I hear the real melody of Telephone?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.