Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Roulette on piano
Written by Katy Perry, Max Martin & others
- A major
- 4/4
- 112 BPM
- 2017
- Medium
Learn Roulette in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bm – E – F#m – D
Roulette sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bm is B, D and F#; E is E, G# and B; F#m is F#, A and C#; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BmiiEVF#mviDIV- BmB · D · F#
- EE · G# · B
- F#mF# · A · C#
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Knock-knock footsteps
Step, then a quick knock-knock, a pause, and one last step. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 471 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 112 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: D – E – A
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Roulette
What chords are in Roulette?
The loop is Bm – E – F#m – D (ii – V – vi – IV) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Roulette in?
A major, at about 112 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Roulette?
Knock-knock footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Roulette 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.