Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Got To Be There on piano
Artist unknown
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 88 BPM
- Easy
Learn Got To Be There in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Eb – Ab – Bb7
Got To Be There 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; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIEbIVAbbVIIBb7I7- BbBb · D · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
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: Gospel-clap chords
Skips beat 1, then soulful chords that bounce off the “ands”. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 88 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
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Questions about Got To Be There
What chords are in Got To Be There?
The loop is Bb – Eb – Ab – Bb7 (I – IV – bVII – I7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – Eb – Bb.
What key is Got To Be There in?
Bb major, at about 88 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Got To Be There?
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 Got To Be There 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.