Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Walk Away on piano
Written by Joe Walsh
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 1971
- Easy
Learn Walk Away in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Db – Ab – Db
Walk Away sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIDbIVAbIDbIV- AbAb · C · Eb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Hopping heartbeat
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: Late-knock chords
One chord, a long wait, then a quick knock-knock at the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Ab – Bbm – Ab
The last chords are I – ii – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbmAb- BbmBb · Db · F
Play next
Questions about Walk Away
What chords are in Walk Away?
The loop is Ab – Db – Ab – Db (I – IV – I – IV) in Ab major, and the song ends on Ab – Bbm – Ab.
What key is Walk Away in?
Ab major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Walk Away?
Hopping heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2& · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Walk Away 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.