Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play 21 Guns on piano
Written by David Bowie, John Phillips & others
- F major
- 4/4
- 84 BPM
- vi–IV–I–V loop
- 2009
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn 21 Guns in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – Bb – F – C
How it goes
21 Guns sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmviBbIVFICV- DmD · F · A
- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. 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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF
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Questions about 21 Guns
What chords are in 21 Guns?
The loop is Dm – Bb – F – C (vi – IV – I – V) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is 21 Guns in?
F major, at about 84 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in 21 Guns?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is 21 Guns easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.