Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play I Can See on piano
Written by David Meece
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 108 BPM
- V–I–IV–I loop
- 1985
- Medium
Learn I Can See in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Eb – Ab – Eb
I Can See sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbVEbIAbIVEbI- BbBb · D · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Ocean swell
Eight notes rise high and fall back down: one big ocean swell per bar. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12-10-8-5 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 80 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb
Play next
Questions about I Can See
What chords are in I Can See?
The loop is Bb – Eb – Ab – Eb (V – I – IV – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is I Can See in?
Eb major, at about 108 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Can See?
Ocean swell: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12-10-8-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Can See 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.