Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play How About Me? on piano
Written by Irving Berlin
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 1928
- Tricky
Learn How About Me? in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb7 – Eb – Ebm – Bb
How About Me? sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ebm is Eb, Gb and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bb7V7EbIEbmiBbV- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- EbmEb · Gb · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Mountain leap
Three notes from very low to very high, leaping across the keyboard. Musicians call it wide arpeggio 1-5-15 (wide arpeggio), a tricky pattern heard in 83 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Eager chords
Jumps in early before beat 3, like the chords can’t wait. 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: Eb – Fm – Eb
The last chords are I – ii – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFmEb- FmF · Ab · C
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Questions about How About Me?
What chords are in How About Me??
The loop is Bb7 – Eb – Ebm – Bb (V7 – I – i – V) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Fm – Eb.
What key is How About Me? in?
Eb major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in How About Me??
Mountain leap: wide arpeggio 1-5-15, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is How About Me? easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.