Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play If on piano
Written by Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland & others
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 110 BPM
- 2004
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn If in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bbm7 – Eb7 – Cm7 – Fm7 – Cm7 – Bbm7 – Eb7 – Cm7 – Dbmaj7 – Cm7
How it goes
If sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 10 chords: Bbm7 is Bb, Db, F and Ab; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; Fm7 is F, Ab, C and Eb; Dbmaj7 is Db, F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bbm7ii7Eb7V7Cm7iii7Fm7vi7Cm7iii7Bbm7ii7Eb7V7Cm7iii7Dbmaj7IVmaj7Cm7iii7- Bbm7Bb · Db · F · Ab
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- Fm7F · Ab · C · Eb
- Dbmaj7Db · F · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 110 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: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
Questions about If
What chords are in If?
The loop is Bbm7 – Eb7 – Cm7 – Fm7 – Cm7 – Bbm7 – Eb7 – Cm7 – Dbmaj7 – Cm7 (ii7 – V7 – iii7 – vi7 – iii7 – ii7 – V7 – iii7 – IVmaj7 – iii7) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is If in?
Ab major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in If?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 10 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of If?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.