What’d I Say? Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn What’d I Say? in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: E7 – E7 – B7 – A7
How it goes
What’d I Say? sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E7 is E, G#, B and D; B7 is B, D#, F# and A; A7 is A, C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
E7I7E7I7B7V7A7IV7
- E7E · G# · B · D
- B7B · D# · F# · A
- A7A · C# · E · G
40 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Three-step climb
How it goes
Root, fifth, octave, then let it ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Three-step climbBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Gospel-clap chords
How it goes
Skips beat 1, then soulful chords that bounce off the “ands”. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Gospel-clap chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 160 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: A – B – E
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE
- AA · C# · E
- BB · D# · F#
- EE · G# · B

What chords are in What’d I Say??

The loop is E7 – E7 – B7 – A7 (I7 – V7 – IV7 – I7) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.

What key is What’d I Say? in?

E major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in What’d I Say??

Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is What’d I Say? easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of What’d I Say??

Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.