Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play As You Are on piano
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Jason Quenneville & others
- C minor
- 4/4
- 72 BPM
- bVII–i–bVI–bVII loop
- 2015
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn As You Are in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Cm – Ab – Bb
How it goes
As You Are sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Cm is C, Eb and G; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbVIICmiAbVIBbVII- BbBb · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Cartwheel heartbeat
How it goes
Five evenly spaced notes roll across the beats, then land on 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3e · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 89 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Heartbeat chords
How it goes
Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 72 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: Ab – Bb – Cm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm
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Questions about As You Are
What chords are in As You Are?
The loop is Bb – Cm – Ab – Bb (bVII – i – bVI – bVII) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is As You Are in?
C minor, at about 72 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in As You Are?
Cartwheel heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3e · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is As You Are 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.