What key is "Walk Of Life" in?

"Walk Of Life" by Dire Straits is in the key of E with a tempo of 160 BPM. Difficulty: medium.

Is "Walk Of Life" 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 "Walk Of Life" 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 "Walk Of Life"?

This arrangement of "Walk Of Life" uses 4 chords: A, B, E, E7. Only a handful of chords — a great pick for early learners.

How long does it take to learn "Walk Of Life" 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 Dire Straits can I play here?

Try "MONEY FOR NOTHING", "SULTANS OF SWING", "Brothers in Arms". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.

Lyrics

(E)Here comes John ny, gon na tell you the sto ry; hand me down lu la, my by, walk in’ shoes.

Here comes John ny with the pow’r and the glo ry, down back the beat nel tryin’ the talk in’ blues.

He got the ac tion, he got the mo tion.

Oh yeah, the boy can play.

Ded i ca tion, de vo tion, (E)turn ing all the night time in to the day.

He do the song a bout the sweet lence lov in’ (B)wom ble an, he do the (E)song a bout the knife.

ble and the strife.

Then he do the (E7)walk,

he do the walk of (A)life.

Yeah, he do the walk of life.

(E)Here comes John ny sing ing old you the gold ies, be bop a lu la, ba by, what I say.

Here comes John ny, sing ing “I Got a Wom an,” down in the tun nel tryin’ to make it pay.

He got the ac tion, he got the mo tion.

Oh yeah, the boy can play.

Ded i ca tion, de vo tion, (E)turn ing all the night time in to the day.

He do And af ter all the sweet lence lov in’ (B)wom ble an, he do the (E)song in all the knife.

ble and the strife.

Then You do the (E7)walk,

you do the walk of (A)life.

Mmm, you do the walk of life.

Walk Of Life by Dire Straits

45 people have learned this song

Easy piano arrangement in the key of E at 160 BPM. Difficulty: medium. Color-coded notes — no sheet-reading skill required.

Teacher’s notes

This arrangement is a great workout for locking your hands into an oompah bass pattern at a brisk 160 BPM — your left hand will alternate between a low root note and a higher chord chunk on the offbeat, which gives the track its bouncy, driving energy.

You only have four chords — E, E7, A, and B — but the real challenge is keeping that left-hand pattern steady while your right hand handles the melody's syncopated rhythms on top.

Start hands-separate and slow, maybe around 100 BPM, and get that left hand on autopilot before you layer the right hand in.

Watch the E-to-E7 switch especially: it's just one note changing, but at tempo it's easy to fumble if you're not anticipating it.

The B chord can also catch you off guard because it sits a whole step above A and your hand has to jump quickly.

Loop the verse section until the bass feels effortless, then bump the tempo up in small increments.

Once this clicks, you'll have a rock-solid foundation for any tune that uses an oompah groove — that's a skill that transfers everywhere.

About “Walk Of Life”

What key is "Walk Of Life" in?: "Walk Of Life" by Dire Straits is in the key of E with a tempo of 160 BPM. Difficulty: medium.
Is "Walk Of Life" 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 "Walk Of Life" 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 "Walk Of Life"?: This arrangement of "Walk Of Life" uses 4 chords: A, B, E, E7. Only a handful of chords — a great pick for early learners.
How long does it take to learn "Walk Of Life" 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 Dire Straits can I play here?: Try "MONEY FOR NOTHING", "SULTANS OF SWING", "Brothers in Arms". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.