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Hot Tip! Weird rhythms can be difficult to make sense out of, but breaking them down can help. Learn how to deconstruct complicated rhythms on the piano like we did in the graphics.
This tutorial will provide you with (easy!) piano sheet music for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Queen’s legendary magnum opus. We’ll break down the sheet music for you in this post, or you can watch the video tutorial for a more hands-on approach.
The piano plays an iconic role in “Bohemian Rhapsody” — especially in the beginning. We’ve taken this portion of the song and created a piano cover version for you. This means we’ll teach you how to play the melody (the part that is sung) and the left hand to accompany it. The result: a performance-ready segment of one of the greatest songs ever written!
Table of Contents:
We’ve also included the chords for those who want to put their own spin on things. Now, this song isn’t the easiest, but it’s very rewarding!
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Here’s the iconic intro:
You’ll see that we have two flats, which means we’re in B Flat Major. So, make a note in your head that all E’s and B’s are flat by default!
Now, Freddie plays this entire riff with both hands as an accompaniment while he sings. If you want to do this too, you can play octaves with your right hand on top of the G and F.
Practice this part of the song well. You’ll see similar patterns throughout the song.
Now let’s add the melody.
The left hand stays pretty similar here, except we scooch down to form a similar chord figure for Gm with our left hand. On the right hand, watch out for those ties.
The next bit gets a little crazy. Your hands will not line up. And when you practice slowly (which you should first!) it might sound a little strange. But play it at the intended speed and you’ll hear the melody clearly.
Feel free to rewind the video a few times if this part is confusing for you. For the more visually inclined folks, here are some graphics with counting that might help. Note: each syllable (1, e, +, a etc.) is a sixteenth note.
And this is how the notes fit together:
BUT, if it helps to just listen to the music and play what you hear, you can do that too 🙂
AND, if this is too difficult (no shame!), what you can do is play and hold the chords in your left hand and play the melody on top. It’ll still sound awesome!
The next part looks a little crazy, so take it slow. Practice the left hand on its own a few times first if you need some extra focus here. There are quite a few accidentals happening…
But the chromaticism (stepping down by half-steps) is kinda what makes this part sound so cool 🙂
A similar chromatic pattern happens in measure 13.
Another part that looks a little complicated is measures 15-16, but we’re almost done so hang on tight!
Practice that left hand first. On your right hand, you’ll notice a C flat. That’s just the same note as B natural. This part sounds a little funky, but it’ll resolve soon.
Now the song winds down. You’ll step down chromatically through a few chords, so again, watch out for those accidentals.
And finally, we’ll end on the iconic intro again!
“Bohemian Rhapsody” has experienced a resurgence thanks to the film of the same name about Freddie Mercury and the formation of Queen. Freddie used the piano in many of his songs, in recordings, and on stage. He used concert grands, synthesizers, and even a harpsichord.
Freddie was obviously very creative, and you can be too! While we’ve provided the full sheet music to let you play as close to the original as possible, you don’t always have to play things exactly the way they’re written. We’ve provided the chords so you can create your own accompaniment. If you need help understanding chords, check out How to Play Piano Chords or take our free Chord Hacks course. Those resources will give you everything you need to get started 🙂
And as always, happy listening, happy playing, and happy practicing!
Lisa Witt has been teaching piano for more than 20 years and in that time has helped hundreds of students learn to play the songs they love. Lisa received classical piano training through the Royal Conservatory of Music, but she has since embraced popular music and playing by ear in order to accompany herself and others. Learn more about Lisa.
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