Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play If The Good Die Young on piano
By Tracy Lawrence
- E major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- I–IV–I–V loop
- 1992
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn If The Good Die Young in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – A – E – B
How it goes
If The Good Die Young sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; A is A, C# and E; B is B, D# and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIAIVEIBV- EE · G# · B
- AA · C# · E
- BB · D# · F#
- 2
Left hand: Bumblebee buzz
How it goes
Two low notes buzz back and forth on quick, even beats. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3 (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 160 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Run-up chords
How it goes
Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar. 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: A – B – E
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE
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Questions about If The Good Die Young
What chords are in If The Good Die Young?
The loop is E – A – E – B (I – IV – I – V) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is If The Good Die Young in?
E major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in If The Good Die Young?
Bumblebee buzz: broken chord 1-3, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If The Good Die Young 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.