Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play If I Ruled The World on piano
- Eb major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 1963
- 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: Ebmaj7 – Eb7 – Dm7 – Dm7
How it goes
If I Ruled The World sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ebmaj7 is Eb, G, Bb and D; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; Dm7 is D, F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Ebmaj7Imaj7Eb7I7Dm7vii7Dm7vii7- Ebmaj7Eb · G · Bb · D
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- Dm7D · F · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Hopscotch steps
How it goes
Step, step, skip a beat, step: like hopping over a square. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 668 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
How it goes
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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
- 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 Ebmaj7 – Eb7 – Dm7 – Dm7 (Imaj7 – I7 – vii7 – Imaj7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is If I Ruled The World in?
Eb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in If I Ruled The World?
Hopscotch steps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 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.
Can I hear the real melody of If I Ruled The World?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.