Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Second Hand Rose on piano
By Grant Clarke
- F major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 2018
- Medium
Learn Second Hand Rose in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – Cm – Gm – Cm – Gm – Cm – Gm – Gm – Gdim
Second Hand Rose sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 9 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; Cm is C, Eb and G; Gdim is G, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmiiCmvGmiiCmvGmiiCmvGmiiGmiiGdimii°- GmG · Bb · D
- CmC · Eb · G
- GdimG · Bb · Db
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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 – C7 – F
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GmC7F- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Second Hand Rose
What chords are in Second Hand Rose?
The loop is Gm – Cm – Gm – Cm – Gm – Cm – Gm – Gm – Gdim (ii – v – ii – v – ii – v – ii – ii° – ii) in F major, and the song ends on Gm – C7 – F.
What key is Second Hand Rose in?
F major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Second Hand Rose?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Second Hand Rose easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 9 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Second Hand Rose?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.