McCartney, Paul (and Wings) - Live and Let Die

Chords & Piano Lesson
Paul McCartney and Wings - Live and Let Die
Hello! Below you'll find my "Live and Let Die" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
 

This song by Paul McCartney and Wings is a folk classic and only uses 4 chords! It was originally played on guitar, but translates well to piano.

Enjoy!

Lesson Video
Chord Chart

Live and Let Die Piano Tutorial

Here's a piano tutorial video for Live and Let Die:

Live and Let Die Chords & Lyrics

[Verse 1]
G                          Bm7                  C6                  D7   D7b9
   When you were young and your heart was an open book
G                    Bm7                 C6
   You used to say live and let live
                         D7                         D7b9                   (G)
(You know you did, you know you did you know you did)
G                Bm7                C6                         A7
   But if this ever changing world in which we live in
Bb/D
Makes you give in and cry
 
[Chorus]
                             G7  C/G                   Gdim7  G7
Say live and let die             live and let die
                        G7  C/G                  Gdim7
Live and let die             live and let die
 
[Interlude 1] (LH G on every count throughout)
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
GABb         D E  F         C Bb       GABb     D E F
 
+ 2 + 3 + 4 + | X2
   C   Bb

| Gm | X4
 
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | + 2 + 3 + 4 + |X2
     Bb      D        E       C       D
 
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
     Bb      D        E       A      Bb        C
 
1 + + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
      A      Bb        C     Dm
 
[Middle 8]
C                                         G
   What does it matter to ya,    when you got a job to do
                D7                           Em                            | F | F | F|
You gotta do it well, you gotta give the other fellow hell
 
[Interlude 2]
| Gm | X8
 
[Verse 2]
| G | Bm7 | C6 | D7 D7b9 |

(Instrumental)
G                    Bm7                 C6
   You used to say live and let live
                  D7                                D7b9                    (G)
(You know you did, you know you did you know you did)
G                Bm7                C6                         A7
   But if this ever changing world in which we live in
                   D                    Bb/D
Makes you give in and cry
 
[Chorus]
                              G7   C/G                   Gdim7 G7
Say live and let die               live and let die
                        G7  C/G                   Gdim7
Live and let die              live and let die
 
[Interlude 3]
Gm Gm Gm Gm X3 
Gm Gm Gm Ebm |
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
Live and Let Die Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "Live and Let Die" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
 
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.  
 
3. Simplify if need be: "Live and Let Die" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
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