Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Jingle Bell Rock on piano
Written by Joseph Beal & James Boothe
- D major
- 4/4
- 96 BPM
- ii–V–ii–V loop
- 1957
- Medium
Learn Jingle Bell Rock in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – A – Em – A
Jingle Bell Rock sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiiAVEmiiAV- EmE · G · B
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Slipping taps
A chord, a few taps on the top note, then a slip one step down. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 96 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: Em – A – D
The last chords are ii – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EmAD- DD · F# · A
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Questions about Jingle Bell Rock
What chords are in Jingle Bell Rock?
The loop is Em – A – Em – A (ii – V – ii – V) in D major, and the song ends on Em – A – D.
What key is Jingle Bell Rock in?
D major, at about 96 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Jingle Bell Rock?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Jingle Bell Rock 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.