Piano chords · Old-time stride
If I Only Had A Brain: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Harold Arlen
- F major
- 2/2
- 100 BPM
- 1938
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
If I Only Had A Brain written out as piano music: the vi7 – ii7 – I – vi7 – ii7 – I loop in F major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays stride jumps (stride) and the right hand pausing chords.
If I Only Had A Brain chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in F major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dm7 | vi7 | D F A C |
| 2 | Gm7 | ii7 | G Bb D F |
| 3 | F | I | F A C |
| 4 | Dm7 | vi7 | D F A C |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: stride jumps (stride) in the left hand and pausing chords in the right, over the Dm7 – Gm7 – Gm7 – F – F – Dm7 chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
To see the real melody written out, play “The part you know”: the sheet music changes to it.
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Questions about If I Only Had A Brain
Does the sheet music for If I Only Had A Brain have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
What chords are in If I Only Had A Brain?
The loop is Dm7 – Gm7 – Gm7 – F – F – Dm7 (vi7 – ii7 – I – vi7 – ii7 – I) in F major, and the song ends on Gm – C7 – F.
What key is If I Only Had A Brain in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in If I Only Had A Brain?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If I Only Had A Brain easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of If I Only Had A Brain?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.