Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play If You Were Here on piano
Artist unknown
- C major
- 4/4
- 112 BPM
- Easy
Learn If You Were Here in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Dm – G – Bb
If You Were Here sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Dm is D, F and A; G is G, B and D; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIDmiiGVBbbVII- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- GG · B · D
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Rock hop
Low, high, a quick double, then high again: a hopping rock bass. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 809 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 112 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 – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
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Questions about If You Were Here
What chords are in If You Were Here?
The loop is C – Dm – G – Bb (I – ii – V – bVII) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is If You Were Here in?
C major, at about 112 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in If You Were Here?
Rock hop: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If You Were Here 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.