Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Every Rose Has Its Thorn on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Every Rose Has Its Thorn in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Eb – Bb – Eb – Bb – F
Every Rose Has Its Thorn sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIVBbIEbIVBbIFV
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
384 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Stumbling footsteps
Steady steps with one tiny stumble right before beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 146 songs of the library.
Stumbling footstepsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Ticking clock
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Ticking clockRepeated-note pulse · RockRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 77 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: Eb – F – Bb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb

What chords are in Every Rose Has Its Thorn?

The loop is Eb – Bb – Eb – Bb – F (IV – I – IV – I – V) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.

What key is Every Rose Has Its Thorn in?

Bb major, at about 77 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Every Rose Has Its Thorn?

Stumbling footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Every Rose Has Its Thorn easy to play on piano?

It is a medium one: learn the 5 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.

Can I hear the real melody of Every Rose Has Its Thorn?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.