Trains And Boats And Planes Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Trains And Boats And Planes in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: C – F – C – Am
How it goes
Trains And Boats And Planes sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVCIAmvi
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- AmA · C · E
26 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Three-step climb
How it goes
Root, fifth, octave, then let it ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Three-step climbBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Pumping chordsPumping 8ths · RockRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 90 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
- GG · B · D

What chords are in Trains And Boats And Planes?

The loop is C – F – C – Am (I – IV – I – vi) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Trains And Boats And Planes in?

C major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Trains And Boats And Planes?

Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Trains And Boats And Planes 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.