Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Bad Habit on piano
Written by Kelly Rowland, Bryan Michael Cox & others
- G major
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- 2004
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Bad Habit in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – G – C – Em
How it goes
Bad Habit sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7V7GICIVEmvi- D7D · F# · A · C
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Three-step climb
How it goes
Root, fifth, octave, then let it ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. 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: Am – D7 – G
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AmD7G- AmA · C · E
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Questions about Bad Habit
What chords are in Bad Habit?
The loop is D7 – G – C – Em (V7 – I – IV – vi) in G major, and the song ends on Am – D7 – G.
What key is Bad Habit in?
G major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Bad Habit?
Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Bad Habit 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.