Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Tom Sawyer on piano
Written by Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson
- E major
- 2/2
- 136 BPM
- 1981
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Tom Sawyer in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – E – D – Dsus4
How it goes
Tom Sawyer sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; E is E, G# and B; D is D, F# and A; Dsus4 is D, G and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CbVIEIDbVIIDsus4bVIIsus4- CC · E · G
- EE · G# · B
- DD · F# · A
- Dsus4D · G · A
- 2
Left hand: Hopping heartbeat
How it goes
Quick hops into the middle of the bar, then a rest on beat 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2& · 3 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 143 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 136 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- AA · C# · E
- BB · D# · F#
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Questions about Tom Sawyer
What chords are in Tom Sawyer?
The loop is C – E – D – Dsus4 (bVI – I – bVII – bVIIsus) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Tom Sawyer in?
E major, at about 136 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Tom Sawyer?
Hopping heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2& · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Tom Sawyer easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.