Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play If I Had My Way on piano
By Linda Eder
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 2002
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn If I Had My Way in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Gm – C7 – Fm
How it goes
If I Had My Way sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Gm is G, Bb and D; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIGmviiC7III7Fmvi- AbAb · C · Eb
- GmG · Bb · D
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Lazy seesaw
How it goes
A low note, a higher one, a gap, then the higher one again. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 520 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 100 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
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Questions about If I Had My Way
What chords are in If I Had My Way?
The loop is Ab – Gm – C7 – Fm (I – vii – III7 – vi) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is If I Had My Way in?
Ab major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in If I Had My Way?
Lazy seesaw: root–fifth 1-5-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If I Had My Way 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.