Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Nobody Knows on piano
By Kevin Sharp
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- V–vi–V–IV loop
- 1995
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Nobody Knows in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Dm – C – Bb
How it goes
Nobody Knows sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Dm is D, F and A; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CVDmviCVBbIV- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Spinning lantern
How it goes
Notes circle up through the chord and widen, like a spinning lantern. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: C – Bb – F
How it goes
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CBbF- FF · A · C
Play next
Questions about Nobody Knows
What chords are in Nobody Knows?
The loop is C – Dm – C – Bb (V – vi – V – IV) in F major, and the song ends on C – Bb – F.
What key is Nobody Knows in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Nobody Knows?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Nobody Knows easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.