Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Travelin' Light on piano
By Sidney Clare
- F major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 1937
- Easy
Learn Travelin' Light in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – Fdim – Gm – C7
Travelin' Light sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Fdim is F, Ab and Cb; Gm is G, Bb and D; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIFdimi°GmiiC7V7- FF · A · C
- FdimF · Ab · Cb
- GmG · Bb · D
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- 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: Gospel-clap chords
Skips beat 1, then soulful chords that bounce off the “ands”. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
Questions about Travelin' Light
What chords are in Travelin' Light?
The loop is F – Fdim – Gm – C7 (I – io – ii – V7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Travelin' Light in?
F major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Travelin' Light?
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 Travelin' Light 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.