Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Roses on piano
Written by Andre Benjamin & Matt Boykin
- E minor
- 4/4
- 108 BPM
- 2003
- Medium
Learn Roses in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – D – D – Cmaj7 – Bm7 – Bm7
Roses sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Em is E, G and B; D is D, F# and A; Cmaj7 is C, E, G and B; Bm7 is B, D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiDVIIDVIICmaj7VImaj7Bm7v7Bm7v7- EmE · G · B
- DD · F# · A
- Cmaj7C · E · G · B
- Bm7B · D · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Slow-down chords
Quick chords rush through the first half, then slow down to land on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 108 BPM
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: C – D – Em
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm- CC · E · G
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Questions about Roses
What chords are in Roses?
The loop is Em – D – D – Cmaj7 – Bm7 – Bm7 (i – VII – VImaj7 – v7 – i – VII) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Roses in?
E minor, at about 108 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Roses?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Roses easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 6 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Roses?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part 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.