Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Didn’t We on piano
Written by Jimmy Webb
- C major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 1966
- Easy
Learn Didn’t We in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – Dm – Ddim
Didn’t We sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C; Dm is D, F and A; Ddim is D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVDmiiDdimii°- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- DmD · F · A
- DdimD · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Pausing footsteps
Three even steps, then a quiet beat to breathe. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
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Questions about Didn’t We
What chords are in Didn’t We?
The loop is C – F – Dm – Ddim (I – IV – ii – iio) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Didn’t We in?
C major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Didn’t We?
Pausing footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Didn’t We 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.