Rock 'n' Roll Piano: Left-Hand Bass and Right-Hand Chords in 12 Bars

Rock 'n' roll piano comping pairs a left hand alternating root–fifth and root–sixth (G D G D G E G E in G) with a right hand moving through 1-3-5, 1-4-6, 1-5-b7 shapes over each chord of the 12-bar progression.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Beginner · 13 min

Can't see the video? Watch it on YouTube.

This lesson from Jason Zac at Nathaniel School of Music teaches a very popular left-hand bass pattern and a matching right-hand comping pattern for rock 'n' roll piano, the sound you hear in Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode. It suits beginners who know their basic major chords and want a groove they can play through a whole song. Everything is shown in G major.

The 12-bar progression in G

The groove follows the 12-bar progression used in blues, rock 'n' roll and many related styles. It uses only three chords: the I chord (G), the IV chord (C) and the V chord (D).

1. Bars 1–4: G (I)
2. Bars 5–6: C (IV)
3. Bars 7–8: G (I)
4. Bar 9: D (V)
5. Bar 10: C (IV)
6. Bars 11–12: G (I)

A common alternative ending uses the last two bars to go from the I chord to the V chord and then back to I at the start of the next round.

The left hand: root–fifth, root–sixth

The left hand plays a steady, almost machine-like pattern. Over each chord you alternate the root with the fifth, then the root with the sixth:

• Over G: G D G D, then G E G E
• Over C: C G C G, then C A C A
• Over D: the same formula gives D A D A, then D B D B

One run of root–fifth twice and root–sixth twice is one cycle, and each cycle fills one bar of the 12-bar form. Play plain root notes first if you like, but you will hear how much more life the moving fifth and sixth add.

Wrist technique for stamina

When you play this quickly, let your wrist float gently, roughly an inch above its resting position, rather than locking it. This keeps the whole hand relaxed and stops tension building up in the forearm. At a rock 'n' roll gig where people dance for hours, the left hand takes a beating, so a floating wrist gives you far more stamina. If your forearms start to hurt, stop and take a break.

The right hand: three chord shapes

The right hand keeps the root on the bottom and moves the upper notes. Over G:

1. 1–3–5: G B D
2. 1–4–6: G C E
3. 1–5–b7: G D F
4. Back to 1–4–6: G C E

Over C the same process gives C E G, C F A, C G Bb and back to C F A. Over D the formula gives D F# A, D G B, D A C and back to D G B.

Playing the chords broken

Instead of striking all three notes together, break each shape up: play the top two notes of the chord, then the bottom note. This creates a lively, bouncing rhythm that locks in with the left hand. You can also leave a few gaps rather than filling every beat.

Adding a trill

A short trill in the right hand is an easy way to add sparkle and make your playing stand out.

Off-beat chord attacks (intermediate)

Once the basic pattern is comfortable, try anticipating the beat. Count 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and, and play some chords on the 'and' just before the beat rather than on it. A good way in is to play one chord on the beat and the next one off the beat. Practise this with the right hand alone first, then add the left hand.

How to practise

• Learn the left-hand pattern alone through all 12 bars, slowly, watching your wrist.
• Learn the three right-hand shapes over G, C and D, then break them up.
• Put the hands together slowly, then gradually speed up.
• Add trills and off-beat attacks only when the basic groove feels steady.

This pattern works for many rock 'n' roll songs by artists like Elvis and Chuck Berry, and the right-hand ideas can also go into your list of licks as a soloist.

Questions about this lesson

What is the left-hand pattern for rock and roll piano?

Alternate the root with the fifth twice, then the root with the sixth twice. In G that is G D G D G E G E, and over C it becomes C G C G C A C A.

What chords does the right hand play over G?

The right hand plays G B D (1-3-5), G C E (1-4-6), G D F (1-5-b7) and then returns to G C E. The same formula moves to C and D.

How do I stop my left hand getting tired?

Keep your wrist floating slightly instead of locking it, which keeps the hand relaxed and spreads the effort. If your forearms begin to hurt, take a break.

How can I make the right hand sound more advanced?

Add a short trill, and try anticipating the beat by playing some chords on the 'and' just before the beat. Practise the off-beat attacks with the right hand alone before adding the left.

Practise it

• Groove MetronomeWork with tempo, accents and polyrhythms instead of a single unchanging click.
• Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
• All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.

Related lessons

• The 12-Bar Blues Bassline Every Piano Left Hand Needs to LearnThe classic 12-bar blues left-hand bassline plays the 1, 3, 5 and 6 of each chord's own root (Bb D F G over Bb7), then grows into a two-bar 1-3-5-6-b7-6-5-3 line, while the right hand comps dominant seventh chords in a swung Charleston rhythm.
• 5 Comping Piano Rhythm Patterns for Any SituationFive versatile piano comping patterns are oompa, waltz, swung reggae, tresillo and an Indian triplet groove: in each, the left hand toggles between chord root and fifth while the right hand places the chord on specific rhythmic hit points.
• 6 Famous Songs That Use the Spanish (Andalusian) CadenceThe Andalusian cadence (i–bVII–bVI–V, in D minor Dm–C–Bb–A) can be played on piano with the rhythm patterns of songs like Feeling Good, House of the Rising Sun, Believer, Who Is It, Walk Don't Run and The Ketchup Song, then reused over other progressions.
• Piano Hand Independence: 5 Habits That Actually Build ItTo improve piano hand independence, make one hand an instinctive engine that runs a pattern without thought. Free the other hand for the melody, and when things fall apart, simplify the right hand rather than the left. Build up with simple rhythms, singing and steady practice.