Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Rude Boy on piano
By Rihanna
- E minor
- 4/4
- 96 BPM
- Medium
Learn Rude Boy in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – Bm – C – Am
Rude Boy sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; Bm is B, D and F#; C is C, E and G; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiBmvCVIAmiv- EmE · G · B
- BmB · D · F#
- CC · E · G
- AmA · C · E
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 96 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- DD · F# · A
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Questions about Rude Boy
What chords are in Rude Boy?
The loop is Em – Bm – C – Am (i – v – bVI – iv) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Rude Boy in?
E minor, at about 96 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Rude Boy?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Rude Boy 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.