Telephone Line

by Electric Light Orchestra
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Lyrics

“Hel (A)lo,

how (Amaj7)are you?

Have you (A7)been al right

through all those lone ly, lone ly, lone (A#dim7)ly, lone ly, lone ly (Bm)nights?” That’s what I’d (E)say,

I’d tell you (C#m)ev ’ry thing

if you’d pick up that tel e (Amaj7)phone,

yeah, (Dmaj7)yeah, yeah.

(A)Hey,

how you (Amaj7)feel in’?

Are you (A7)still the same?

Don’t you re al ize the things we did, we (A#dim7)did were all for (Bm)real, not a (E)dream?

I just (C#m)can’t be lieve

they’ve all (E)fad ed out of (Amaj7)view,

yeah, yeah, (Dmaj7)yeah, yeah,

ooh.

Doo da wop, (F#m)doo bee doo da wop, doo wah doo (E)lang.

Blue days, black nights, doo wah doo (E)lang.

I look in (F#m)to the sky, the love you need ain’t gon na (E)see you through,

and I (F#m)won der why the lit tle things you planned ain’t (E)com in’ true.

(A)Oh, oh, tel e (A)phone line,

give me (F#m)some time,

I’m liv ing in twi

(Fdim)light.

(A)Oh, oh, tel e (A)phone line,

give me (F#m)some time,

I’m liv ing in twi

(Fdim)light.

O.

K.,

so no one’s (Amaj7)an swer ing,

well, can’t you (A7)just let it ring a lit tle long er, long er, long er?

(A#dim7)Oh,

I’ll just sit (E)tight,

through shad ows of the night,

let it (E)ring for ev er (Amaj7)more,

oh hoh (Dmaj7)hoh hoh.

(Dmaj7)hoh hoh.

Telephone Line — Visual Piano Sheet Music

7 people have learned this song

"Telephone Line" in visual bar notation — see every note as a colored bar on the staff. Easier to read than traditional sheet music. Scrolls automatically as you play. Key of A, 80 BPM.

Teacher’s notes

This arrangement is a fantastic workout for navigating a wide chord palette — you'll move through twelve different chords including two diminished shapes, A#dim7 and Fdim, which will likely feel unfamiliar under your fingers at first.

Start by isolating just those diminished voicings and drilling the transitions into and out of them slowly, because they're the moments where most students hesitate and lose the pulse.

Your left hand plays a block bass pattern, so keep it steady and grounded while your right hand handles the melodic line above.

At 80 BPM you have breathing room, but don't let that fool you — the real challenge is smooth voice-leading between chords like Amaj7 to A#dim7 to Bm, where small finger shifts make or break the flow.

Practice hands separately first, then combine at half tempo before building up.

This is the piece that'll make diminished chords feel like old friends instead of strangers.

About “Telephone Line

Why does "Telephone Line" show as colored bars instead of notation?
Bar Notation replaces traditional noteheads with colored horizontal bars on a simplified staff — each bar's vertical position is the pitch and its length is the duration. Much easier to read than classic sheet music while still showing the full arrangement of "Telephone Line".
What key is "Telephone Line" by Electric Light Orchestra played in?
Telephone Line is arranged in the key of A on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "Telephone Line"?
The arrangement plays at 80 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "Telephone Line" easy to play on piano?
This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
Can I download sheet music for "Telephone Line"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "Telephone Line"?
"Telephone Line" was originally performed by Electric Light Orchestra. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "Telephone Line"?
This arrangement uses 12 chords: A, A#dim7, A7, Amaj7, Bm, C#m, D, Dmaj7, +4 more.
What other songs by Electric Light Orchestra can I play here?
Try "ALL OVER THE WORLD", "ROCKARIA", "DON'T BRING ME DOWN". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
Is this real sheet music for "Telephone Line"?
It's a simplified visual notation using colored bars instead of traditional notes. Each bar's vertical position shows the pitch and its length shows duration — much easier to read for beginners while still showing the complete arrangement of "Telephone Line".
Can I see all the notes in "Telephone Line"?
Yes! The Bar Sheet shows every note in the arrangement as a colored bar. The sheet scrolls automatically during playback, or you can scroll manually to study any section. The song is in the key of A at 80 BPM.

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