I Believe Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn I Believe in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: A – Bm – F#m – A
I Believe sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; Bm is B, D and F#; F#m is F#, A and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIBmiiF#mviAI
- AA · C# · E
- BmB · D · F#
- F#mF# · A · C#
15 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Upside-down pulse
Every note lands between the beats, so it bounces like reggae. Musicians call it root bass · offbeats (&s) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 176 songs of the library.
Upside-down pulseRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Candle flicker
Two low chord notes flicker back and forth, warm like candlelight. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Candle flickerTwo-note ostinato · BalladRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 74 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: D – E – A
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA
- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B

What chords are in I Believe?

The loop is A – Bm – F#m – A (I – ii – vi – I) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.

What key is I Believe in?

A major, at about 74 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in I Believe?

Upside-down pulse: root bass · offbeats (&s), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is I Believe 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.