Rocky Mountain High by John Denver
Rocky Mountain High by John Denver runs at 164 BPM in 4/4 and is in the key of E major. It is built on 4 chords — A, E, F#m7, B. Released in 1972.
✓ Key sourced from the McGill Billboard Project's expert chord annotations — not auto-detected. See how we verify →
What to watch for
At least one shape here is a full barre — one finger pressing all six strings, no open strings to lean on. Fret it unplugged first; if a string buzzes, it's the barre, not the chord. Listen for the 7th in these chords — it's the note doing most of the harmonic pull, and it's the first thing that disappears if you fret only the plain triad underneath it.
Practice at the right tempo
This song sits at 164 BPM. Start at 60% until the changes are clean — speed is a by-product of accuracy, not a goal.
Learn the theory
Play it on a live fretboard
Every shape, every voicing, and the scale that fits over them — on a board you can hear. Then just talk to it: Melody Monkey's personal music teacher controls the fretboard, so ask for a chord, a scale, a progression, or why any of it works, and watch it land under your fingers. Free to start.
Open the free app →Keep playing
More by John Denver See all →
More Folk songs See all →
More songs from 1972 See all →
More songs with the I–ii–IV–V progression See all →
Frequently asked questions
What key is Rocky Mountain High in?
Rocky Mountain High is in E major, sourced from the McGill Billboard Project's expert chord annotations — not auto-detected.
What tempo is Rocky Mountain High?
Rocky Mountain High runs at 164 BPM (or 82 half-time).
What chords does Rocky Mountain High use?
Rocky Mountain High is built on 4 chords: A, E, F#m7, B.
Does Rocky Mountain High need barre chords?
Yes — at least one shape is a full barre (one finger across all six strings). Everything else on the page is a standard open shape.