Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Ticket to Ride on piano
By The Beatles
- A major
- 4/4
- 110 BPM
- 1965
- Easy
Learn Ticket to Ride in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – Bm – E – F#m
Ticket to Ride sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; Bm is B, D and F#; E is E, G# and B; F#m is F#, A and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIBmiiEVF#mvi- AA · C# · E
- BmB · D · F#
- EE · G# · B
- F#mF# · A · C#
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
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: Peekaboo chords
A chord on 2, then two surprises popping up between the beats. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 110 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: D – E – A
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 Ticket to Ride
What chords are in Ticket to Ride?
The loop is A – Bm – E – F#m (I – ii – V – vi) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Ticket to Ride in?
A major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Ticket to Ride?
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 Ticket to Ride 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 Ticket to Ride?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 6 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.