What key is "Livin' Thing" in?

"Livin' Thing" by Electric Light Orchestra is in the key of C with a tempo of 100 BPM. Difficulty: medium.

Is "Livin' Thing" easy to play on piano?

This arrangement is rated medium. It requires comfort with chord shapes and basic hand independence. Expect 1-2 weeks of regular practice for a confident performance.

Can I play "Livin' Thing" without reading sheet music?

Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.

What chords are used in "Livin' Thing"?

This arrangement of "Livin' Thing" uses 13 chords: Ab, Am, Bbm, C, D7, Dm, Em, F, +5 more.

How long does it take to learn "Livin' Thing" on piano?

2–4 weeks of consistent practice (20–30 min/day) for an intermediate player. Drill the tricky passages in isolation first.

What other songs by Electric Light Orchestra can I play here?

Try "ALL OVER THE WORLD", "ROCKARIA", "DON'T BRING ME DOWN". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.

Lyrics

(C)Sail in’ a way on the crest of a wave, it’s like (Am)mag ic.

Oh, (Ab)roll in’ and rid in’ and slip pin’ and slid in’, it’s (Fm)mag ic.

And (Em)you

and your sweet de sire,

You took (Em)me,

oh,

high er and high er, ba by.

It’s a liv in’ thing!

It’s a ter ri ble (G)thing to (C)lose.

It’s a giv en thing,

what a ter ri ble (G)thing to (C)lose.

(C)Mak in’ be lieve this is what you con ceived from your (Am)worst

day.

Oh, (Ab)mov ing in line, then you look back in time to the (Fm)first

day.

And (Em)you

and your sweet de sire,

You took (Em)me,

oh,

high er and high er, ba by.

It’s a liv in’ thing!

It’s a ter ri ble (G)thing to (C)lose.

It’s a giv en thing,

what a ter ri ble (G)thing to (C)lose.

(C)lose.

It’s a liv in’ thing!

It’s a ter ri ble (G)thing to (C)lose.

It’s a giv en thing!

What a ter ri ble (G)thing to (C)lose.

It’s a liv

Livin' Thing by Electric Light Orchestra

4 people have learned this song

Easy piano arrangement in the key of C at 100 BPM. Difficulty: medium. Color-coded notes — no sheet-reading skill required.

Teacher’s notes

This arrangement is a great workout for handling chromatic chords outside the home key — you've got thirteen chords here, and several like Ab, Bbm, Fm, and Gaug will pull your hands into unfamiliar shapes amid otherwise comfortable C-major territory.

Your left hand drives an oompah bass pattern throughout, so start by drilling that alone at around 70 BPM until it feels automatic, because you'll need all your mental bandwidth for the right-hand chord changes.

Watch the transitions into and out of those flat-side chords especially — the move from G or Gaug into Ab tends to trip people up, so loop those two-bar passages until the fingering is memorized, not guessed.

Once both hands are solid separately, bring them together still under tempo and only speed up in small increments.

By the end, you'll be genuinely comfortable navigating chromatic harmony, and that's a skill that pays off in dozens of other songs.

About “Livin' Thing”

What key is "Livin' Thing" in?: "Livin' Thing" by Electric Light Orchestra is in the key of C with a tempo of 100 BPM. Difficulty: medium.
Is "Livin' Thing" easy to play on piano?: This arrangement is rated medium. It requires comfort with chord shapes and basic hand independence. Expect 1-2 weeks of regular practice for a confident performance.
Can I play "Livin' Thing" without reading sheet music?: Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.
What chords are used in "Livin' Thing"?: This arrangement of "Livin' Thing" uses 13 chords: Ab, Am, Bbm, C, D7, Dm, Em, F, +5 more.
How long does it take to learn "Livin' Thing" on piano?: 2–4 weeks of consistent practice (20–30 min/day) for an intermediate player. Drill the tricky passages in isolation first.
What other songs by Electric Light Orchestra can I play here?: Try "ALL OVER THE WORLD", "ROCKARIA", "DON'T BRING ME DOWN". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.