Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Back When I Knew It All on piano
Written by Trent Willmon, Gary Hannan & others
- D major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- I–V–ii–IV loop
- 2008
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Back When I Knew It All in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – A – Em – G
How it goes
Back When I Knew It All sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E; Em is E, G and B; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIAVEmiiGIV- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- EmE · G · B
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Gear-shift chords
How it goes
Quick even chords that skip beat 3, like an engine changing gear. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD
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Questions about Back When I Knew It All
What chords are in Back When I Knew It All?
The loop is D – A – Em – G (I – V – ii – IV) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Back When I Knew It All in?
D major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Back When I Knew It All?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Back When I Knew It All 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.