Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play If I Were A Rich Man on piano
- C major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- 1964
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn If I Were A Rich Man in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Bb7 – Eb – Bbm
How it goes
If I Were A Rich Man sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bbm is Bb, Db and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmivBb7bVII7EbbIIIBbmbvii- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbmBb · Db · F
- 2
Left hand: Stride jumps
How it goes
Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 140 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: C – G7 – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CG7C- CC · E · G
- G7G · B · D · F
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Questions about If I Were A Rich Man
What chords are in If I Were A Rich Man?
The loop is Fm – Bb7 – Eb – Bbm (iv – bVII7 – bIII – bvii) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.
What key is If I Were A Rich Man in?
C major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in If I Were A Rich Man?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If I Were A Rich Man 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.
Can I hear the real melody of If I Were A Rich Man?
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.