Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play How Do I Say on piano
Written by James Samuel Harris III, Terry Lewis & others
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 2001
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn How Do I Say in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – Ab – Cm – Ab
How it goes
How Do I Say sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIIIAbIVCmviAbIV- GG · B · D
- AbAb · C · Eb
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Leapfrog pulse
How it goes
One long note, then a quick hop that leaps right into beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2a · 3 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 153 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Swing push
How it goes
Three chords tumble out early with a swing, then the bar breathes. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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- BbBb · D · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about How Do I Say
What chords are in How Do I Say?
The loop is G – Ab – Cm – Ab (III – IV – vi – IV) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is How Do I Say in?
Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in How Do I Say?
Leapfrog pulse: root bass · 1 · 2a · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is How Do I Say 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.