Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play I Want Someone on piano
Written by Estelle Axton & Willia Parker
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 74 BPM
- I–ii–V7–I loop
- 1966
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Want Someone in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Bbm – Eb7 – Ab
How it goes
I Want Someone sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIBbmiiEb7V7AbI- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbmBb · Db · F
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- 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: Heartbeat chords
How it goes
Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 74 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: Bbm – Eb7 – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbmEb7Ab
Play next
Questions about I Want Someone
What chords are in I Want Someone?
The loop is Ab – Bbm – Eb7 – Ab (I – ii – V7 – I) in Ab major, and the song ends on Bbm – Eb7 – Ab.
What key is I Want Someone in?
Ab major, at about 74 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Want Someone?
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 Want Someone 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.