Other arrangements of Telephone Line
Pick a learning view.
“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 — Falling Notes Piano Tutorial
7 people have learned this song
Watch "Telephone Line" by Electric Light Orchestra in falling notes style — like Synthesia. Color-coded notes fall onto the keyboard in real time. Practice left hand, right hand, or both. Key of A, 80 BPM.
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.
Try other practice modes:
About “Telephone Line”
- Can I learn "Telephone Line" with falling notes like Synthesia?
- Yes — Falling Notes mode shows colored note shapes dropping onto a virtual keyboard, the same visual style as Synthesia or piano-tile games. Each note's column matches the piano key you press. Works for "Telephone Line" with hands-separate practice in A at 80 BPM.
- 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.
- Can I practice left and right hand separately for "Telephone Line"?
- Yes! Our Top Down mode lets you isolate the left hand (bass clef), right hand (treble clef), or play both together. This makes it easy to master "Telephone Line" one hand at a time before combining them.
- What is falling notes style for "Telephone Line"?
- Falling notes (also known as Synthesia or piano waterfall) shows color-coded rectangles falling from the top of the screen onto a virtual keyboard. Each note's position matches the piano key you need to press. "Telephone Line" is in the key of A at 80 BPM.
More piano songs by Electric Light Orchestra
See all Electric Light Orchestra songs →More songs you might like
SHINE A LITTLE LOVE
Electric Light Orchestra
ROCK 'N' ROLL IS KING
Electric Light Orchestra
ROCKARIA
Electric Light Orchestra
THE DIARY OF HORACE WIMP
Electric Light Orchestra
ALTHEA
Grateful Dead
SHOW DOWN
Electric Light Orchestra
CONFUSION
Electric Light Orchestra
DON'T BRING ME DOWN
Electric Light Orchestra
TURN TO STONE
Electric Light Orchestra
MR. BLUE SKY
Electric Light Orchestra
LIVIN' THING
Electric Light Orchestra
SWEET TALKIN' WOMAN
Electric Light Orchestra