Learning to Fly by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Overview

Key: C major · Chords used: 4 · Sections: 97

Form: Intro → Verse → Intro → Verse → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → B Section → B Section ×7 → D Section → Verse → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → B Section ×8 → D Section → Solo → C Section → Verse → C Section → Verse → C Section → Verse → C Section → Verse → C Section → Verse → C Section → Verse → C Section → Verse → C Section → Verse → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → A Section → Chorus → B Section ×8 → D Section

Where these chords come from: a chord chart of this song written by a musician and shared on the iReal Pro forums, archived in the iReal Pro forum charts archived in ChoCo (de Berardinis et al., 2023). It's one musician's reading of the song, not a transcription checked against the recording. This page shows that chart as-is: the analysis below is generated directly from it by code, not written by AI. Consecutive repeats of a chord are shown once, and the piano voicings are our playable arrangement of each chord symbol, not a note-for-note transcription.

Section by section

Intro 1

• F – C
  IV – I

Verse 1

• Am – G
  vi – V

Intro 2

Same chords as Intro 1.

Verse 2

Same chords as Verse 1.

A Section 1

• F – C
  IV – I

Chorus 1

• Am – G
  vi – V

A Section 2

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 2

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 3

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 3

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 4

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 4

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 5

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 5

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 6

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 6

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 7

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 7

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 8

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 8

Same chords as Chorus 1.

B Section 1

• F – C – Am – G
  IV – I – vi – V

B Section 2

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 3

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 4

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 5

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 6

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 7

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 8

Same chords as B Section 1.

D Section 1

• G
  V

Verse 3

• G
  V

A Section 9

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 9

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 10

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 10

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 11

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 11

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 12

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 12

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 13

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 13

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 14

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 14

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 15

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 15

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 16

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 16

Same chords as Chorus 1.

B Section 9

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 10

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 11

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 12

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 13

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 14

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 15

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 16

Same chords as B Section 1.

D Section 2

Same chords as D Section 1.

Solo

• G
  V

C Section 1

• F – C
  IV – I

Verse 4

Same chords as Verse 1.

C Section 2

Same chords as C Section 1.

Verse 5

Same chords as Verse 1.

C Section 3

Same chords as C Section 1.

Verse 6

Same chords as Verse 1.

C Section 4

Same chords as C Section 1.

Verse 7

Same chords as Verse 1.

C Section 5

Same chords as C Section 1.

Verse 8

Same chords as Verse 1.

C Section 6

Same chords as C Section 1.

Verse 9

Same chords as Verse 1.

C Section 7

Same chords as C Section 1.

Verse 10

Same chords as Verse 1.

C Section 8

Same chords as C Section 1.

Verse 11

Same chords as Verse 1.

A Section 17

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 17

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 18

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 18

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 19

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 19

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 20

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 20

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 21

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 21

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 22

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 22

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 23

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 23

Same chords as Chorus 1.

A Section 24

Same chords as A Section 1.

Chorus 24

Same chords as Chorus 1.

B Section 17

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 18

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 19

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 20

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 21

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 22

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 23

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 24

Same chords as B Section 1.

D Section 3

• F – C
  IV – I

Chord vocabulary

Sources & accuracy

• Chords: the iReal Pro forum charts archived in ChoCo (de Berardinis et al., 2023). Community chord chart “Learning To Fly” (credited “Petty Tom”, style Pop 110) from the forum file linked here, CC BY 4.0 via ChoCo. Performer/songwriter confirmed from Wikidata.
• Section names: from the chart's own markings: section names written on the chart (Intro, Verse, Chorus…) are kept, and rehearsal letters are shown as “A Section”, “B Section” and so on (the B of an AABA song is called the Bridge).
• Chord charts are often written in a key that suits a particular singer or band, so this may not be the key of the original recording.
• About the song: Wikipedia.
• Not verified: only one chart of this song is available, so it hasn't been cross-checked.
• Rhythm and chord durations aren't shown; each step is one chord change.