Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Never Gonna Give You Up on piano

By Mike Stock, Matthew Aitken and Peter Waterman

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Never Gonna Give You Up in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Em – A – F#m – Bm – Em – A – F#m – Bm
How it goes
Never Gonna Give You Up sits in B minor: B is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: Em is E, G and B; A is A, C# and E; F#m is F#, A and C#; Bm is B, D and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmivAVIIF#mvBmiEmivAVIIF#mvBmi
- EmE · G · B
- AA · C# · E
- F#mF# · A · C#
- BmB · D · F#
2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Walking rootsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Pop stabs
How it goes
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Pop stabsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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: G – A – Bm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GABm
- GG · B · D

What chords are in Never Gonna Give You Up?

The loop is Em – A – F#m – Bm – Em – A – F#m – Bm (iv – VII – v – i – iv – VII – v – i) in B minor, and the song ends on G – A – Bm.

What key is Never Gonna Give You Up in?

B minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Never Gonna Give You Up?

Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Never Gonna Give You Up easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Never Gonna Give You Up?

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

Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.