I Want You Back Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn I Want You Back in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Fm – Ab – Db – Ab
How it goes
I Want You Back sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmviAbIDbIVAbI
- FmF · Ab · C
- AbAb · C · Eb
- DbDb · F · Ab
25 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
How it goes
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Lazy footstepsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Mouse-run chords
How it goes
Skips beat 1, scurries through four quick chords, then hides. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Mouse-run chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 160 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
- BbmBb · Db · F
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db

What chords are in I Want You Back?

The loop is Fm – Ab – Db – Ab (vi – I – IV – I) in Ab major, and the song ends on Bbm – Eb7 – Ab.

What key is I Want You Back in?

Ab major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in I Want You Back?

Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is I Want You Back 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.