Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play How Many Times? on piano
Written by Irving Berlin
- F major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1926
- Easy
Learn How Many Times? in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – C – C7 – C
How Many Times? sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7V7CVC7V7CV- C7C · E · G · Bb
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Island pulse
Three, three, two: the island rhythm in so many pop hits. Musicians call it root bass · tresillo 3-3-2 (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 120 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 – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
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Questions about How Many Times?
What chords are in How Many Times??
The loop is C7 – C – C7 – C (V7 – V – V7 – V) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is How Many Times? in?
F major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in How Many Times??
Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is How Many Times? 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.