Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play We’re Not Gonna Take It on piano
Artist unknown
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- I–V–I–V loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn We’re Not Gonna Take It in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Bb – Eb – Bb
How it goes
We’re Not Gonna Take It sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIBbVEbIBbV- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
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: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 140 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: Cm – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are vi – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CmBbEb- CmC · Eb · G
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Questions about We’re Not Gonna Take It
What chords are in We’re Not Gonna Take It?
The loop is Eb – Bb – Eb – Bb (I – V – I – V) in Eb major, and the song ends on Cm – Bb – Eb.
What key is We’re Not Gonna Take It in?
Eb major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in We’re Not Gonna Take It?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is We’re Not Gonna Take It 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.