I Am...I Said Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn I Am...I Said in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: F – Bb – Eb – F
How it goes
I Am...I Said sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FVBbIEbIVFV
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
87 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Bossa swayRoot bass rhythm · Bossa novaLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Clockwork chords
How it goes
Four quick, even chords per short bar, ticking like clockwork. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Clockwork chordsSyncopated chords · StrideRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 80 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb

What chords are in I Am...I Said?

The loop is F – Bb – Eb – F (V – I – IV – V) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.

What key is I Am...I Said in?

Bb major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in I Am...I Said?

Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is I Am...I Said easy to play on piano?

It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.