Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play If Love Were All on piano
By Noel Coward
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1929
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn If Love Were All in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb7 – Eb – Fm – Bb7
How it goes
If Love Were All sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bb7bVII7EbbIIIFmivBb7bVII7- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Oom-pah
How it goes
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in thousands of 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 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
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Questions about If Love Were All
What chords are in If Love Were All?
The loop is Bb7 – Eb – Fm – Bb7 (bVII7 – bIII – iv – bVII7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is If Love Were All in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in If Love Were All?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If Love Were All 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.