I Will Rise Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn I Will Rise in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: C – F – G – Am – Am7 – F – C
I Will Rise sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C; G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E; Am7 is A, C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVGVAmviAm7vi7FIVCI
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- Am7A · C · E · G
48 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Giant steps
A full chord on every beat, low and heavy, like a giant walking. Musicians call it lh chords (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Giant stepsLeft-hand chords · RockLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Run-up chords
Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Run-up chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 84 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 – G – C
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CGC

What chords are in I Will Rise?

The loop is C – F – G – Am – Am7 – F – C (I – IV – V – vi – vi7 – IV – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – G – C.

What key is I Will Rise in?

C major, at about 84 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in I Will Rise?

Giant steps: lh chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is I Will Rise easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 7 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of I Will Rise?

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