Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play If You Were Wondering on piano
By Peter Allen
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- V7–I–V7–I loop
- 1978
- Easy
Learn If You Were Wondering in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F7 – Bb – F7 – Bb
If You Were Wondering sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F7V7BbIF7V7BbI- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Run-up chords
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 90 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: Cm – F7 – Bb
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CmF7Bb- CmC · Eb · G
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Questions about If You Were Wondering
What chords are in If You Were Wondering?
The loop is F7 – Bb – F7 – Bb (V7 – I – V7 – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Cm – F7 – Bb.
What key is If You Were Wondering in?
Bb major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in If You Were Wondering?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If You Were Wondering 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.