Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Rules on piano
By Shakira
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 2001
- Easy
Learn Rules in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – F – Bb – Cm
Rules sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIFVBbICmii- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Late-hop footsteps
Steady low-high steps with one quick extra hop after beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 659 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Gm – F – Bb
The last chords are vi – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GmFBb- GmG · Bb · D
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Questions about Rules
What chords are in Rules?
The loop is Bb – F – Bb – Cm (I – V – I – ii) in Bb major, and the song ends on Gm – F – Bb.
What key is Rules in?
Bb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Rules?
Late-hop footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Rules 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.