Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses on piano
By Kathy Mattea
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 1987
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Db – Ab – Db
How it goes
Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIDbIVAbIDbIV- AbAb · C · Eb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
How it goes
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Shy chords
How it goes
Waits out beat 1, then a chord on 2 and a little double on 3. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses
What chords are in Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses?
The loop is Ab – Db – Ab – Db (I – IV – I – IV) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses in?
Ab major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.