Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play We Are Family on piano
Written by Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 150 BPM
- 1979
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn We Are Family in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb7 – Ab7 – Eb7 – Ab7
How it goes
We Are Family sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bb7I7Ab7bVII7Eb7IV7Ab7bVII7- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- 2
Left hand: Dawdling footsteps
How it goes
Two steps, then a lazy late note after beat 3 that catches up on 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 222 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Run-up chords
How it goes
Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 150 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
Play next
Questions about We Are Family
What chords are in We Are Family?
The loop is Bb7 – Ab7 – Eb7 – Ab7 (I7 – bVII7 – IV7 – bVII7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is We Are Family in?
Bb major, at about 150 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in We Are Family?
Dawdling footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is We Are Family 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 We Are Family?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.