Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play You Got Lucky on piano
By Tom Petty
- C major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- 1982
- Easy
Learn You Got Lucky in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – Dm – Gsus4 – G
You Got Lucky sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; Dm is D, F and A; Gsus4 is G, C and D; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmviDmiiGsus4Vsus4GV- AmA · C · E
- DmD · F · A
- Gsus4G · C · D
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
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Questions about You Got Lucky
What chords are in You Got Lucky?
The loop is Am – Dm – Gsus4 – G (vi – ii – Vsus – V) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is You Got Lucky in?
C major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in You Got Lucky?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is You Got Lucky 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.