Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play I Should Be Sleeping on piano
By Emerson Drive
- Eb major
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- I–IV–ii–V loop
- 2002
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Should Be Sleeping in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Ab – Fm – Bb
How it goes
I Should Be Sleeping sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIAbIVFmiiBbV- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- FmF · Ab · C
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Pausing footsteps
How it goes
Three even steps, then a quiet beat to breathe. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Push chords
How it goes
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Fm – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FmBbEb
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Questions about I Should Be Sleeping
What chords are in I Should Be Sleeping?
The loop is Eb – Ab – Fm – Bb (I – IV – ii – V) in Eb major, and the song ends on Fm – Bb – Eb.
What key is I Should Be Sleeping in?
Eb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in I Should Be Sleeping?
Pausing footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Should Be Sleeping 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.