Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play I Should Have Known It on piano
By Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
- G minor
- 4/4
- 150 BPM
- 2010
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Should Have Known It in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – C – Bb – C
How it goes
I Should Have Known It sits in G minor: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIIICIVBbIIICIV- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
How it goes
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 150 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: Eb – F – Gm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFGm- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- GmG · Bb · D
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Questions about I Should Have Known It
What chords are in I Should Have Known It?
The loop is Bb – C – Bb – C (bIII – IV – bIII – IV) in G minor, and the song ends on Eb – F – Gm.
What key is I Should Have Known It in?
G minor, at about 150 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Should Have Known It?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Should Have Known It 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.