Every Rose Has Its Thorn Piano Chords & Patterns

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: C – G – C – G
Every Rose Has Its Thorn sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIVGICIVGI
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
384 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Late-hop footsteps
Steady low-high steps with one quick extra hop after beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 659 songs of the library.
Late-hop footstepsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Fairy lights
A chord, then two bright notes blinking like fairy lights. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Fairy lightsTwo-note ostinato · BalladRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 100 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: C – D – G
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG
- DD · F# · A

What chords are in Every Rose Has Its Thorn?

The loop is C – G – C – G (IV – I – IV – I) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.

What key is Every Rose Has Its Thorn in?

G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

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

Late-hop footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 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 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.