Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play I Should Care on piano
By Sammy Cahn
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1944
- Easy
Learn I Should Care in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – G7 – Em – A7
I Should Care sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; G7 is G, B, D and F; Em is E, G and B; A7 is A, C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiiG7V7EmiiiA7VI7- DmD · F · A
- G7G · B · D · F
- EmE · G · B
- A7A · C# · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Oom-pah
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: C – F7 – C
The last chords are I – IV7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CF7C- CC · E · G
- F7F · A · C · Eb
Play next
Questions about I Should Care
What chords are in I Should Care?
The loop is Dm – G7 – Em – A7 (ii – V7 – iii – VI7) in C major, and the song ends on C – F7 – C.
What key is I Should Care in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Should Care?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Should Care 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.