Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play But I Do on piano
By Clarence "Frogman" Henry
- Bb major
- 2/2
- 100 BPM
- 1960
- Easy
Learn But I Do in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – F7 – Bb – G7
But I Do sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7II7F7V7BbIG7VI7- C7C · E · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Yo-yo bounce
A long high root, a dip down, and back up like a yo-yo. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 629 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Bb – Eb – Bb
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbEbBb- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about But I Do
What chords are in But I Do?
The loop is C7 – F7 – Bb – G7 (II7 – V7 – I – VI7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – Eb – Bb.
What key is But I Do in?
Bb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in But I Do?
Yo-yo bounce: broken chord 8-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is But I Do 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.