Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Kiss on piano
By Prince
- A major
- 4/4
- 112 BPM
- 1986
- Medium
Learn Kiss in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – A – A – A – C
Kiss sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: A is A, C# and E; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIAIAIAICbIII- AA · C# · E
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Rock hop
Low, high, a quick double, then high again: a hopping rock bass. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 809 songs of the library.
- 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.
- 4
Both hands at 112 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: D – E – A
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
Play next
Questions about Kiss
What chords are in Kiss?
The loop is A – A – A – A – C (I – bIII – I – bIII) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Kiss in?
A major, at about 112 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Kiss?
Rock hop: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Kiss 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 Kiss?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.