Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play I Gotta Try on piano
Written by Michael McDonald & Kenny Loggins
- D major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1982
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Gotta Try in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – Gm – F – Gm
How it goes
I Gotta Try sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FbIIIGmivFbIIIGmiv- FF · A · C
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Rock hop
How it goes
Low, high, a quick double, then high again: a hopping rock bass. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 809 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Bm – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are vi – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BmAD- BmB · D · F#
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about I Gotta Try
What chords are in I Gotta Try?
The loop is F – Gm – F – Gm (bIII – iv – bIII – iv) in D major, and the song ends on Bm – A – D.
What key is I Gotta Try in?
D major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Gotta Try?
Rock hop: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Gotta Try easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.