Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play If I Ruled The World on piano
Written by Cyril Ornadel
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 58 BPM
- IV–vi–V–IV loop
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn If I Ruled The World in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Cm – Bb – Ab
How it goes
If I Ruled The World sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Cm is C, Eb and G; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIVCmviBbVAbIV- AbAb · C · Eb
- CmC · Eb · G
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Stumbling footsteps
How it goes
Steady steps with one tiny stumble right before beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 146 songs of the library.
- 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.
- 4
Both hands at 58 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- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about If I Ruled The World
What chords are in If I Ruled The World?
The loop is Ab – Cm – Bb – Ab (IV – vi – V – IV) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is If I Ruled The World in?
Eb major, at about 58 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in If I Ruled The World?
Stumbling footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If I Ruled The World 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.