Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play The Show Must Go On on piano
By Queen
- B minor
- 4/4
- 84 BPM
- 1991
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Show Must Go On in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bsus4 – Bm – G – Em – G – Em7 – Em
How it goes
The Show Must Go On sits in B minor: B is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: Bsus4 is B, E and F#; Bm is B, D and F#; G is G, B and D; Em is E, G and B; Em7 is E, G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bsus4Isus4BmiGVIEmivGVIEm7iv7Emiv- Bsus4B · E · F#
- BmB · D · F#
- GG · B · D
- EmE · G · B
- Em7E · G · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
How it goes
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 84 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: G – A – Bm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GABm- AA · C# · E
Play next
Questions about The Show Must Go On
What chords are in The Show Must Go On?
The loop is Bsus4 – Bm – G – Em – G – Em7 – Em (Isus4 – i – VI – iv – VI – iv7 – iv) in B minor, and the song ends on G – A – Bm.
What key is The Show Must Go On in?
B minor, at about 84 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Show Must Go On?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Show Must Go On easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 7 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of The Show Must Go On?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.