Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Ruby Tuesday on piano
Written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
- C major
- 4/4
- 107 BPM
- V–I–V–I loop
- 1967
- Medium
Learn Ruby Tuesday in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – C – G – C
Ruby Tuesday sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GVCIGVCI- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Double-skip footsteps
Steady steps with two quick skips, one mid-bar and one at the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 397 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Knock-knock chords
Chord, a quick knock-knock, a pause, then one last chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 107 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
Play next
Questions about Ruby Tuesday
What chords are in Ruby Tuesday?
The loop is G – C – G – C (V – I – V – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Ruby Tuesday in?
C major, at about 107 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Ruby Tuesday?
Double-skip footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Ruby Tuesday 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.