Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Nothing Compares 2 U on piano
Written by Prince
- F major
- 4/4
- 60 BPM
- I–V–vi–I loop
- 1985
- Medium
Learn Nothing Compares 2 U in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – C – Dm – F
Nothing Compares 2 U sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FICVDmviFI- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Mouse-run chords
Skips beat 1, scurries through four quick chords, then hides. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 60 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Nothing Compares 2 U
What chords are in Nothing Compares 2 U?
The loop is F – C – Dm – F (I – V – vi – I) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Nothing Compares 2 U in?
F major, at about 60 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Nothing Compares 2 U?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Nothing Compares 2 U 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.