Piano chords · Rock drive

How to play Rush on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Rush in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: F – C – F – C
How it goes
Rush sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FICVFICV
- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
144 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Rock hop
How it goes
Low, high, a quick double, then high again: a hopping rock bass. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 809 songs of the library.
Rock hopRoot bass rhythm · RockLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Polka-hop chords
How it goes
Chords only on the “ands” in a quick two-beat bar: the “pah” of a polka. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Polka-hop chordsOffbeat chords · StrideRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 90 BPM
How it goes
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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF
- BbBb · D · F

What chords are in Rush?

The loop is F – C – F – C (I – V – I – V) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.

What key is Rush in?

F major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Rush?

Rock hop: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Rush 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.