Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play God Save The Queen on piano
By Sex Pistols
- C major
- 4/4
- 144 BPM
- 1977
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn God Save The Queen in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – D – A – D
How it goes
God Save The Queen sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AVIDIIAVIDII- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Gear-shift pulse
How it goes
Quick even notes that skip beat 3, like an engine changing gear. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 181 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 144 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
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Questions about God Save The Queen
What chords are in God Save The Queen?
The loop is A – D – A – D (VI – II – VI – II) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is God Save The Queen in?
C major, at about 144 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in God Save The Queen?
Gear-shift pulse: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is God Save The Queen 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.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.