If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You) Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You) in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: A – D – A – Bm
How it goes
If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You) sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A; Bm is B, D and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIDIVAIBmii
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- BmB · D · F#
75 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Rising tide
How it goes
Five notes roll up wide and high, then hold: a tide coming in. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 187 songs of the library.
Rising tideOpen arpeggio · Film scoreLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Steady chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 72 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: D – E – A
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA
- EE · G# · B

What chords are in If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You)?

The loop is A – D – A – Bm (I – IV – I – ii) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.

What key is If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You) in?

A major, at about 72 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You)?

Rising tide: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You) easy to play on piano?

It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.