Piano chords · Bossa beach
I Should Have Known Better: piano accompaniment sheet music
By She & Him
- D major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- I–IV–I–vi loop
- 1964
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
I Should Have Known Better written out as piano music: the I – IV – I – vi loop in D major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays lazy seesaw (root–fifth 1-5-5), and the right hand sings the tune.
I Should Have Known Better chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in D major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | I | D F# A |
| 2 | G | IV | G B D |
| 3 | D | I | D F# A |
| 4 | Bm | vi | B D F# |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: lazy seesaw (root–fifth 1-5-5) in the left hand, with the right hand free for the melody, over the D – G – D – Bm chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
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Questions about I Should Have Known Better
Does the sheet music for I Should Have Known Better have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
What chords are in I Should Have Known Better?
The loop is D – G – D – Bm (I – IV – I – vi) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is I Should Have Known Better in?
D major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Should Have Known Better?
Lazy seesaw: root–fifth 1-5-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Should Have Known Better 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.