Piano chords · Rock drive
Rocks Off: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
- E major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- V–I–IV–V loop
- 1972
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Rocks Off written out as piano music: the V – I – IV – V loop in E major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays engine 8ths (root bass · 8ths) and the right hand offbeat skank.
Rocks Off chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in E major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | V | B D# F# |
| 2 | E | I | E G# B |
| 3 | A | IV | A C# E |
| 4 | B | V | B D# F# |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: engine 8ths (root bass · 8ths) in the left hand and offbeat skank in the right, over the B – E – A – B chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
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Questions about Rocks Off
Does the sheet music for Rocks Off have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
What chords are in Rocks Off?
The loop is B – E – A – B (V – I – IV – V) in E major, and the song ends on B – A – E.
What key is Rocks Off in?
E major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Rocks Off?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Rocks Off 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.