Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play If I Didn't Have You on piano
By Billy Crystal and John Goodman
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 95 BPM
- 2001
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn If I Didn't Have You in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – C7 – F7 – Bbsus4
How it goes
If I Didn't Have You sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bbsus4 is Bb, Eb and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIC7VI7F7II7Bbsus4Vsus4- EbEb · G · Bb
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- Bbsus4Bb · Eb · F
- 2
Left hand: Trampoline bounce
How it goes
Root, a jump up, a dip down, a jump up: a country-style bounce. Musicians call it broken chord 8-12-5-12 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 257 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Push chords
How it goes
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 95 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about If I Didn't Have You
What chords are in If I Didn't Have You?
The loop is Eb – C7 – F7 – Bbsus4 (I – VI7 – II7 – Vsus) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is If I Didn't Have You in?
Eb major, at about 95 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in If I Didn't Have You?
Trampoline bounce: broken chord 8-12-5-12, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If I Didn't Have You 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.