Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Every Breath You Take on piano
By The Police
- G major
- 4/4
- 116 BPM
- 1983
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Every Breath You Take in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – Em – Em – C
How it goes
Every Breath You Take sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmviEmviEmviCIV- EmE · G · B
- 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: Running-late chords
How it goes
Misses beat 1, then hurries in with busy chords around the beats. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 116 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: Em – C – G
How it goes
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EmCG- GG · B · D
Play next
Questions about Every Breath You Take
What chords are in Every Breath You Take?
The loop is Em – Em – Em – C (vi – IV – vi – IV) in G major, and the song ends on Em – C – G.
What key is Every Breath You Take in?
G major, at about 116 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Every Breath You Take?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Every Breath You Take 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 Every Breath You Take?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 7 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.