Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Red River Rock on piano
Written by Tom King, Ira Mack & others
- C major
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- I–V–I–IV loop
- 1959
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Red River Rock in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – G – C – F
How it goes
Red River Rock sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIGVCIFIV- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
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Questions about Red River Rock
What chords are in Red River Rock?
The loop is C – G – C – F (I – V – I – IV) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Red River Rock in?
C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Red River Rock?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Red River Rock 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.