Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play I Believe on piano
By Stephan Moccio
- F major
- 4/4
- 82 BPM
- V–I–V–IV loop
- 2010
- Medium
Learn I Believe in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – C – Bb
I Believe sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CVFICVBbIV- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Giant steps
A full chord on every beat, low and heavy, like a giant walking. Musicians call it lh chords (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Swinging lantern
Two notes far apart swing back and forth like a lantern in the wind. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 82 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
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Questions about I Believe
What chords are in I Believe?
The loop is C – F – C – Bb (V – I – V – IV) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is I Believe in?
F major, at about 82 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Believe?
Giant steps: lh chords, 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.