Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Old-time stride

How to play Rosetta on piano

By Django Reinhardt

Tuning the piano…
Learn it
Style

Left hand Boom-chickRight hand Hopscotch bellsChords the loop the song repeats most

Learn Rosetta in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

  1. 1

    Chords: D7 – G7 – C7 – F

    Rosetta sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; G7 is G, B, D and F; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    D7VI7G7II7C7V7FI
    • D7D · F# · A · C
    • G7G · B · D · F
    • C7C · E · G · Bb
    • FF · A · C
    29 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Boom-chick

    Bass, chord, bass, chord: the bounce of ragtime and country. Musicians call it boom-chick (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 762 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Hopscotch bells

    A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 160 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. 5

    Ending: G7 – C7 – F

    The last chords are II7 – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    G7C7F

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Questions about Rosetta

What chords are in Rosetta?

The loop is D7 – G7 – C7 – F (VI7 – II7 – V7 – I) in F major, and the song ends on G7 – C7 – F.

What key is Rosetta in?

F major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Rosetta?

Boom-chick: boom-chick, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Rosetta easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.