Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play A Change Is Gonna Come on piano
By Sam Cooke
- Bb major
- 6/8
- 68 BPM
- 1964
- Easy
Learn A Change Is Gonna Come in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Cm – Bdim – Cm
A Change Is Gonna Come sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Cm is C, Eb and G; Bdim is B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbICmiiBdimbii°Cmii- BbBb · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
- BdimB · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Cradle pulse
A deep note, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 160 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 68 BPM
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
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
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Questions about A Change Is Gonna Come
What chords are in A Change Is Gonna Come?
The loop is Bb – Cm – Bdim – Cm (I – ii – biio – ii) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is A Change Is Gonna Come in?
Bb major, at about 68 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in A Change Is Gonna Come?
Cradle pulse: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is A Change Is Gonna Come 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.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.