Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play I Dreamed A Dream on piano
By Susan Boyle
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- Easy
Learn I Dreamed A Dream in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Gm – Cm – Bb – Ab – Gm – Fm – Bb
I Dreamed A Dream sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Gm is G, Bb and D; Cm is C, Eb and G; Bb is Bb, D and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIGmiiiCmviBbVAbIVGmiiiFmiiBbV- EbEb · G · Bb
- GmG · Bb · D
- CmC · Eb · G
- BbBb · D · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Stride jumps
Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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
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Questions about I Dreamed A Dream
What chords are in I Dreamed A Dream?
The loop is Eb – Gm – Cm – Bb – Ab – Gm – Fm – Bb (I – iii – vi – V – IV – iii – ii – V) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is I Dreamed A Dream in?
Eb major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Dreamed A Dream?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Dreamed A Dream easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of I Dreamed A Dream?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.