Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play I Am on piano
By Crowder
- C major
- 4/4
- 108 BPM
- I–vi–IV–I loop
- 2013
- Easy
Learn I Am in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Am – F – C
I Am sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIAmviFIVCI- CC · E · G
- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Butterfly heartbeat
A quick fluttery group at the start, then a long glide to beat 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 89 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Run-up chords
Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 108 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: Am – F – C
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AmFC
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Questions about I Am
What chords are in I Am?
The loop is C – Am – F – C (I – vi – IV – I) in C major, and the song ends on Am – F – C.
What key is I Am in?
C major, at about 108 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Am?
Butterfly heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Am 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.