Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Rock Star on piano
Written by R. Kelly & Christopher Bridges
- B minor
- 2/2
- 140 BPM
- 2007
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Rock Star in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bm – Bm – Bm – G
How it goes
Rock Star sits in B minor: B is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bm is B, D and F#; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BmiBmiBmiGVI- BmB · D · F#
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
How it goes
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Deep-breath chords
How it goes
A breath on beat 1, then quick chords pumping to the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 140 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- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Rock Star
What chords are in Rock Star?
The loop is Bm – Bm – Bm – G (i – VI – i – VI) in B minor, and the song ends on G – A – Bm.
What key is Rock Star in?
B minor, at about 140 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Rock Star?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Rock Star 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Rock Star?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure 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.