Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Trip Around The Sun on piano
By Jimmy Buffett with Martina McBride
- E major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Trip Around The Sun in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C#m – B – A – G#7
How it goes
Trip Around The Sun sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C#m is C#, E and G#; B is B, D# and F#; A is A, C# and E; G#7 is G#, B#, D# and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C#mviBVAIVG#7III7- C#mC# · E · G#
- BB · D# · F#
- AA · C# · E
- G#7G# · B# · D# · F#
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
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
How it goes
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 120 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- EE · G# · B
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Questions about Trip Around The Sun
What chords are in Trip Around The Sun?
The loop is C#m – B – A – G#7 (vi – V – IV – III7) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Trip Around The Sun in?
E major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Trip Around The Sun?
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 Trip Around The Sun 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.