Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Change Don’t Come Easy on piano
Written by David Bryan
- E major
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- 2009
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Change Don’t Come Easy in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – G – A7 – E
How it goes
Change Don’t Come Easy sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; G is G, B and D; A7 is A, C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIGbIIIA7IV7EI- EE · G# · B
- GG · B · D
- A7A · C# · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Gospel-clap chords
How it goes
Skips beat 1, then soulful chords that bounce off the “ands”. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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: E – A – E
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EAE- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Change Don’t Come Easy
What chords are in Change Don’t Come Easy?
The loop is E – G – A7 – E (I – bIII – IV7 – I) in E major, and the song ends on E – A – E.
What key is Change Don’t Come Easy in?
E major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Change Don’t Come Easy?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Change Don’t Come Easy 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.