We all know the instantly recognisable arpeggiated chords from Dr. Dre’s iconic Hip Hop classic Still D.R.E. — but here we're going to break down the music theory that underpins this catchy slice of hip-hop history & show you how to play the song.
Still D.R.E. is built from three right-hand chord shapes, played as short repeated stabs over a two-note bassline, in A minor at around 93 BPM:
Only one note changes each time: the bottom note drops from C to B, then the top note drops from A to G. Learn those three shapes and you can play the whole riff.
Initially the chords might seem kind of strange. The first is C-E-A, followed by B-E-A, and then B-E-G.
Each chord only changes a single note from the previous one, making for a delightfully simple, yet very effective little progression.
An easy way to figure out what is going on is to look at the bassline, which alternates between A (which accompanies the first chord), and E, (which accompanies the last two chords).
A great song for beginners and more experienced players, with a love for classic hip-hop. With its simple structure and just 3 chords, Still D.R.E. is an easy song to play on piano, and is great for getting you started.
With the bassline defining the root notes of these chords, it becomes clear that these are actually inversions. C-E-A, our first chord, is the first inversion of A minor, which means that the root note, A, has been moved up the keyboard, above the other two notes.
The next two chords (B-E-A, and B-E-G), are the second inversions of Esus4 and E minor respectively. The second inversion means that both the root note AND the third have been moved up the keyboard, leaving the fifth, B, as the lowest note in these chords.
It’s like a minor i-v chord progression, with a suspended chord thrown in there to add a little tension and release.
Inversions like these are worth getting under your fingers. There's a step-by-step on how to play piano chords on a keyboard if you're still finding your way around, and a rundown of the most common chord progressions once you are.
Find middle C and place your thumb on it, your index or middle finger on E and your little finger on A. That's chord 1. For chord 2, slide your thumb down one key to B and keep the other two fingers where they are. For chord 3, keep your thumb on B and your middle finger on E, and bring your little finger down from A to G.
Play C–E–A, then B–E–A, then B–E–G as solid chords, saying the names out loud if it helps. Loop the three changes until your hand moves between them without looking. Because only one finger moves each time, this usually clicks within a few minutes.
The riff gets its bounce from short, detached stabs rather than long held chords. Start with a metronome at around 60 BPM and play each shape as evenly spaced, staccato hits, then build up towards the track's tempo of roughly 93 BPM. Play along with the original or our video lesson to match how many stabs fall on each chord.
The left hand only needs two notes. Play a low A under chord 1, then a low E under chords 2 and 3. If you're comfortable, play them as octaves (two As or two Es, eight notes apart) for a fuller sound.
Play the bass note on the first stab of each chord change and let the right hand carry the rhythm. Go slowly at first: it's better to keep a steady pulse at half speed than to rush and lose the groove.
If two hands feel like too much, start with the right-hand shapes on their own, or play just the top line (A, A, G) with one finger over a single held bass note. Once that feels natural, add the full chords back in.
Still D.R.E. is in the key of A minor, at a tempo of around 93 BPM. You may see other keys quoted online, but the three chords all come from A minor, and that's the key to play it in. The minor key is a big part of the moody, hypnotic energy you feel in the song.
It’s a key that brings that cool, serious tone we associate with classic West Coast hip hop. But what exactly does that mean? Let’s break it down.
In simple terms, the key of a song tells you what notes and chords it’s built around. Think of it as the song’s “home” — the place it keeps returning to.
There are two main flavours:
The A natural minor scale (which gives this track its distinct tone) includes these notes: A – B – C – D – E – F – G. They're all white keys, which is one reason the song is so friendly for beginners.
That’s the pool of notes the song mostly pulls from — whether it’s the iconic piano loop or the underlying harmony. And while the chords may seem deceptively simple, the emotional weight comes from this key’s natural tension and gravity.
If terms like scales and inversions are still new, our guide to notes, scales and chords covers the groundwork. And once that clicks, the circle of fifths is the quickest way to see how keys relate to one another.
So when you hear that tight, arpeggiated riff repeating over and over, it's not just catchy — it's doing real musical work. It’s grounding you in A minor while slowly shifting shapes to keep the ear hooked. That’s the power of a well-chosen key: it shapes how a song feels, even if you don’t realise it’s happening.
Still D.R.E.’s 3 basic chords have left an everlasting impact on hip hop. Yet this song is a great example of how using simple chord inversions can lead to really exciting chord voicings that still don’t need you to move your fingers a large amount.
None of that needs years of theory behind it. Our beginner's guide to learning the keys starts with posture and hand position and builds up to exactly this sort of thing.
There are three: A minor in first inversion (C–E–A), E sus4 in second inversion (B–E–A) and E minor in second inversion (B–E–G). The bass alternates between A and E underneath them.
Still D.R.E. is in A minor and sits at around 93 BPM. Every note in the main riff is a white key, which is a big part of why it's so popular with beginners.
Yes. It only uses three chord shapes, and each change moves a single finger, so most beginners can play the right-hand riff within one practice session. The trickiest part is keeping the rhythm tight once both hands are playing.
Play the three right-hand shapes on their own (C–E–A, B–E–A, B–E–G) as short repeated stabs. For an even simpler version, play just the top notes A, A and G.
Yes. The riff fits comfortably within a small range, so it works on a 25-key MIDI keyboard as well as a full-size piano, and Melodics gives you real-time feedback on your timing as you play along.
Download Melodics for guided courses on practical applications of music theory like using chord inversions, and many, many more.
Fancy another one? We've got beginner walkthroughs for five easy piano songs, Million Dollar Baby and Around The World.
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