Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Don’t Stop Believin’ on piano
By Journey
- E major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1981
- Medium
Learn Don’t Stop Believin’ in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – B – C#m7 – A
Don’t Stop Believin’ sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; B is B, D# and F#; C#m7 is C#, E, G# and B; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIBVC#m7vi7AIV- EE · G# · B
- BB · D# · F#
- C#m7C# · E · G# · B
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
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: Freeze-tag chords
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 BPM
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: A – B – E
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE
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Questions about Don’t Stop Believin’
What chords are in Don’t Stop Believin’?
The loop is E – B – C#m7 – A (I – V – vi7 – IV) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Don’t Stop Believin’ in?
E major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Don’t Stop Believin’?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Don’t Stop Believin’ 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Don’t Stop Believin’?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.