Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Rocket 88 on piano
By Jackie Brenston
- D major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1951
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Rocket 88 in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G7 – D – G7 – D
How it goes
Rocket 88 sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G7IV7DIG7IV7DI- G7G · B · D · F
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Boogie climb
How it goes
Each note played twice as the line climbs: a rocking boogie bass. Musicians call it broken chord 1-1-3-3-5-5-6-5 (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 25 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Skip-and-stroll chords
How it goes
A skippy push at the start, then calm chords on 3 and 4. 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- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Rocket 88
What chords are in Rocket 88?
The loop is G7 – D – G7 – D (IV7 – I – IV7 – I) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Rocket 88 in?
D major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Rocket 88?
Boogie climb: broken chord 1-1-3-3-5-5-6-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Rocket 88 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.