Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s
How to play If I Can Dream on piano
Artist unknown
- Eb major
- 12/8
- 120 BPM
- I–vi–IV–I loop
- Easy
Learn If I Can Dream in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Cm – Ab – Eb
If I Can Dream sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Cm is C, Eb and G; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbICmviAbIVEbI- EbEb · G · Bb
- CmC · Eb · G
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat
Four slow, deep beats under a swaying fifties ballad. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 134 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
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 120 BPM
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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- BbBb · D · F
Play next
Questions about If I Can Dream
What chords are in If I Can Dream?
The loop is Eb – Cm – Ab – Eb (I – vi – IV – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is If I Can Dream in?
Eb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 12/8.
What does the left hand play in If I Can Dream?
Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If I Can Dream 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.