Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play If on piano
Written by Janet Jackson, James Harris III & others
- G major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- vi–IV–vi–IV loop
- 1993
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn If in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – C – Em – C
How it goes
If sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmviCIVEmviCIV- EmE · G · B
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Dancing heartbeat
How it goes
Notes dance around the beats, pushing ahead on the “ands”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 245 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Lighthouse blink
How it goes
A note and the one above flash in turn, steady as a lighthouse. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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 – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
Play next
Questions about If
What chords are in If?
The loop is Em – C – Em – C (vi – IV – vi – IV) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is If in?
G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in If?
Dancing heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.