Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play If I Were A Bell on piano
Written by Frank Loesser
- F major
- 2/2
- 122 BPM
- 1950
- Easy
Learn If I Were A Bell in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A7 – Ebdim – G7 – C7
If I Were A Bell sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A7 is A, C#, E and G; Ebdim is Eb, Gb and Bbb; G7 is G, B, D and F; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
A7III7Ebdimbvii°G7II7C7V7- A7A · C# · E · G
- EbdimEb · Gb · Bbb
- G7G · B · D · F
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
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 122 BPM
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: F – Eb – F
The last chords are I – bVII – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FEbF- FF · A · C
- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about If I Were A Bell
What chords are in If I Were A Bell?
The loop is A7 – Ebdim – G7 – C7 (III7 – bviio – II7 – V7) in F major, and the song ends on F – Eb – F.
What key is If I Were A Bell in?
F major, at about 122 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in If I Were A Bell?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If I Were A Bell 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.