Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Always Be My Baby on piano
By Mariah Carey
- E major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 1995
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Always Be My Baby in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: B#dim – C#m – G#m – A
How it goes
Always Be My Baby sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: B#dim is B#, D# and F#; C#m is C#, E and G#; G#m is G#, B and D#; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
B#dimbvi°C#mviG#miiiAIV- B#dimB# · D# · F#
- C#mC# · E · G#
- G#mG# · B · D#
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Push and land
How it goes
A push just before beat 3, then two calm landings. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Jump-in chords
How it goes
Jumps in just after beat 1, pumps through, and stops before the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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- BB · D# · F#
- EE · G# · B
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Questions about Always Be My Baby
What chords are in Always Be My Baby?
The loop is B#dim – C#m – G#m – A (bvio – vi – iii – IV) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Always Be My Baby in?
E major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Always Be My Baby?
Push and land: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Always Be My Baby 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.