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 — Classic Piano Sheet Music

7 people have learned this song

Read "Telephone Line" by Electric Light Orchestra in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of A. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 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

Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Telephone Line"?
Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature A. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
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 the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
Yes — "Telephone Line" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature A, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
Yes — slow the tempo from 80 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
Why can I click a note in the score?
Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.

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