Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play The Train on piano
By OutKast
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 104 BPM
- 2006
- Easy
Learn The Train in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Bb – Dbsus4 – Ab
The Train sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Dbsus4 is Db, Gb and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIBbIIDbsus4IVsus4AbI- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- Dbsus4Db · Gb · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Leapfrog pulse
One long note, then a quick hop that leaps right into beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2a · 3 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 153 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
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 104 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: Db – Eb – Ab
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about The Train
What chords are in The Train?
The loop is Ab – Bb – Dbsus4 – Ab (I – II – IVsus – I) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is The Train in?
Ab major, at about 104 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Train?
Leapfrog pulse: root bass · 1 · 2a · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Train 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.