Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play I Honestly Love You on piano
Written by Jeff Barry & Peter Allen
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 66 BPM
- I–V–IV–I loop
- 1974
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Honestly Love You in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – F – Eb – Bb
How it goes
I Honestly Love You sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIFVEbIVBbI- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
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 66 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: F – Eb – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FEbBb
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Questions about I Honestly Love You
What chords are in I Honestly Love You?
The loop is Bb – F – Eb – Bb (I – V – IV – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on F – Eb – Bb.
What key is I Honestly Love You in?
Bb major, at about 66 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Honestly Love You?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Honestly Love You 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.