Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Before I Met You on piano
- Bb major
- 3/4
- 144 BPM
- I–IV–I–V loop
- 1955
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Before I Met You in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Eb – Bb – F
How it goes
Before I Met You sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIEbIVBbIFV- BbBb · D · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Waltz stride
How it goes
A deep bass, a chord above, then the octave: a leaping waltz. Musicians call it stride (3/4) (stride & boom-chick), a medium pattern heard in 215 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
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 144 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: C7 – F7 – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are II7 – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
C7F7Bb- C7C · E · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
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Questions about Before I Met You
What chords are in Before I Met You?
The loop is Bb – Eb – Bb – F (I – IV – I – V) in Bb major, and the song ends on C7 – F7 – Bb.
What key is Before I Met You in?
Bb major, at about 144 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Before I Met You?
Waltz stride: stride (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Before I Met You 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.