Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play You Give Love A Bad Name on piano
By Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child and Richie Sambora
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- 1986
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn You Give Love A Bad Name in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Bb – Eb – Cm – Cm – Ab – Bb – Cm
How it goes
You Give Love A Bad Name sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIVBbVEbICmviCmviAbIVBbVCmvi- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
- CmC · Eb · G
- 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: Slow-down chords
How it goes
Quick chords rush through the first half, then slow down to land on 4. 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb
Play next
Questions about You Give Love A Bad Name
What chords are in You Give Love A Bad Name?
The loop is Ab – Bb – Eb – Cm – Cm – Ab – Bb – Cm (IV – V – I – vi – IV – V – vi – IV) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is You Give Love A Bad Name in?
Eb major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in You Give Love A Bad Name?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is You Give Love A Bad Name easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 8 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of You Give Love A Bad Name?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.