Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Ain’t Never Gonna Give You Up on piano
Written by Elliot Wolff, Bryan Abrams & others
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I7–IV7–I7–IV7 loop
- 1995
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Ain’t Never Gonna Give You Up in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb7 – Ab7 – Eb7 – Ab7
How it goes
Ain’t Never Gonna Give You Up sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Eb7I7Ab7IV7Eb7I7Ab7IV7- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- 2
Left hand: Stair steps
How it goes
Three notes climb up the chord in the island rhythm. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 438 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Eager chords
How it goes
Jumps in early before beat 3, like the chords can’t wait. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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 – Ab – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbAbEb- DbDb · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
Play next
Questions about Ain’t Never Gonna Give You Up
What chords are in Ain’t Never Gonna Give You Up?
The loop is Eb7 – Ab7 – Eb7 – Ab7 (I7 – IV7 – I7 – IV7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Db – Ab – Eb.
What key is Ain’t Never Gonna Give You Up in?
Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Ain’t Never Gonna Give You Up?
Stair steps: broken chord 1-3-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Ain’t Never Gonna Give You Up 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.