Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Your Life Story on piano

By Mary Chapin Carpenter

  • G major
  • 4/4
  • 126 BPM
  • 2007
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Heartbeat octavesThe right hand sings the tuneChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Your Life Story in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: G – Gsus4 – G – D

    How it goes

    Your Life Story sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Gsus4 is G, C and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    GIGsus4Isus4GIDV
    • GG · B · D
    • Gsus4G · C · D
    • DD · F# · A
  2. 2

    Left hand: Heartbeat octaves

    How it goes

    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. 3

    Right hand: the chords, held

    How it goes

    In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 126 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. 5

    Ending: C – D – G

    How it goes

    The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    CDG
    • CC · E · G

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Questions about Your Life Story

What chords are in Your Life Story?

The loop is G – Gsus4 – G – D (I – Isus – I – V) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.

What key is Your Life Story in?

G major, at about 126 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Your Life Story?

Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Your Life Story 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.