Don’t Stop the Music artwork

Don’t Stop the Music

Rihanna

KeyF♯ minor
Tempo122 BPM
Duration4:27

Rhodes melody, piano & acoustic guitar.

Song map

INTROClick a line to play from there
SONG NOTES

Questions about this song

Answers from our automatic transcription. Key, tempo and chord labels may contain errors.

What key is Don’t Stop the Music by Rihanna in?

This transcription starts in F♯ minor.

What tempo is Don’t Stop the Music?

The estimated tempo is 122 BPM, calculated from the median spacing between detected beats. This is a summary of the transcription; timing can vary during the song.

What are the main chord progressions in Don’t Stop the Music?

Recurring four-chord sequences in this transcription include D → F♯m → D → F♯m (6 occurrences); D → Emaj6 → D → Emaj6 (2 occurrences); Emaj6 → F♯m → Emaj6 → F♯m (2 occurrences). These are exact chord-label matches within sections, not a complete harmonic analysis.

What are the relative chords in Don’t Stop the Music?

Here are a few patterns to play with: VI → i → VI → i in F♯ minor; VI → VIImaj6 → VI → VIImaj6 in F♯ minor; VIImaj6 → i → VIImaj6 → i in F♯ minor. Think of Roman numerals as chord names you can take into any key. Uppercase is major, lowercase is minor; in minor keys, we count from the natural-minor scale.

Does Don’t Stop the Music use a well-known chord progression?

Yes! In F♯ minor: The Aeolian shuttle (VI → i) shows up in the chorus at 2:21 and 2:37. A minor home chord and its major VI trade places in a gentle light-and-shadow loop. The minor subtonic shuttle (VII → i) shows up in the bridge at 3:15 and 3:17. A minor chord and the major chord just below it keep the loop circling rather than settling.

What time signature is Don’t Stop the Music in?

The transcription starts in 4/4.

How is Don’t Stop the Music structured?

The detected sections are intro (0:00) → verse (0:32) → pre-chorus (1:03) → chorus (1:19) → verse (1:50) → chorus (2:21) → bridge (3:08) → chorus (3:24) → outro (4:11).

How long is this version of Don’t Stop the Music?

The transcribed version lasts 4:27. Other recordings or edits may have a different duration.

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