Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Proud Mary on piano
Written by John Fogerty
- D major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1968
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Proud Mary in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – A – C – A – C – A – G – G – D – F – D
How it goes
Proud Mary sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 11 chords: C is C, E and G; A is A, C# and E; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CbVIIAVCbVIIAVCbVIIAVGIVGIVDIFbIIIDI- CC · E · G
- AA · C# · E
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Jogging footsteps
How it goes
A calm start, then quick jogging notes through the middle of the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 159 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Groovy chords
How it goes
Chords jump around the “ands” for a funky, dancing feel. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 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 – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD
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Questions about Proud Mary
What chords are in Proud Mary?
The loop is C – A – C – A – C – A – G – G – D – F – D (bVII – V – bVII – V – bVII – V – IV – I – bIII – I – bVII) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Proud Mary in?
D major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Proud Mary?
Jogging footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Proud Mary easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 11 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Proud Mary?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.