Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play I Can See Clearly Now on piano
By Johnny Nash
- D major
- 4/4
- 124 BPM
- IV–I–bVII–IV loop
- 1972
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Can See Clearly Now in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – D – C – G
How it goes
I Can See Clearly Now sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIVDICbVIIGIV- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Hopscotch steps
How it goes
Step, step, skip a beat, step: like hopping over a square. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 668 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Gear-shift chords
How it goes
Quick even chords that skip beat 3, like an engine changing gear. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 124 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: C – G – D
How it goes
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CGD
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Questions about I Can See Clearly Now
What chords are in I Can See Clearly Now?
The loop is G – D – C – G (IV – I – bVII – IV) in D major, and the song ends on C – G – D.
What key is I Can See Clearly Now in?
D major, at about 124 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Can See Clearly Now?
Hopscotch steps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Can See Clearly Now 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.