Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play Rain On The Roof on piano

By Lovin' Spoonful

Tuning the piano…
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Left hand Boogie walkerThe right hand sings the tuneChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Rain On The Roof in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: A7 – D – A7 – D

    How it goes

    Rain On The Roof sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A7 is A, C#, E and G; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    A7V7DIA7V7DI
    • A7A · C# · E · G
    • DD · F# · A
    414 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Boogie walker

    How it goes

    A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: the chords, held

    How it goes

    In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 100 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. 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
    • GG · B · D
    • AA · C# · E

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Questions about Rain On The Roof

What chords are in Rain On The Roof?

The loop is A7 – D – A7 – D (V7 – I – V7 – I) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.

What key is Rain On The Roof in?

D major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Rain On The Roof?

Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Rain On The Roof 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.