Help Yourself Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Help Yourself in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Eb – Fm – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
Help Yourself sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIFmiiBb7V7EbI
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
169 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Double-tap drop
How it goes
The same note twice, long then short, then a drop to a lower note. Musicians call it broken chord 8-8-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 336 songs of the library.
Double-tap dropBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Sleep-in chords
How it goes
Quiet for half the bar, then three chords wake up near the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Sleep-in chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 160 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F

What chords are in Help Yourself?

The loop is Eb – Fm – Bb7 – Eb (I – ii – V7 – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.

What key is Help Yourself in?

Eb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Help Yourself?

Double-tap drop: broken chord 8-8-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Help Yourself 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.