Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Old-time stride

How to play I'm Beginning To See The Light on piano

By Don George

  • Bb major
  • 2/2
  • 92 BPM
  • 1944
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Left hand Oom-pahRight hand Freeze-tag chordsChords from the chord symbols in the score

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn I'm Beginning To See The Light in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

  1. 1

    Chords: Bb – Gb7 – Bb – Cm7 – Bb – G7

    How it goes

    I'm Beginning To See The Light sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Gb7 is Gb, Bb, Db and Fb; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    BbIGb7bVI7BbICm7ii7BbIG7VI7
    • BbBb · D · F
    • Gb7Gb · Bb · Db · Fb
    • Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
    • G7G · B · D · F
    41 songs go round the same chords
  2. 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. 3

    Right hand: Freeze-tag chords

    How it goes

    Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 92 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. 5

    Ending: Cm – F7 – Bb

    How it goes

    The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    CmF7Bb
    • CmC · Eb · G
    • F7F · A · C · Eb

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Questions about I'm Beginning To See The Light

What chords are in I'm Beginning To See The Light?

The loop is Bb – Gb7 – Bb – Cm7 – Bb – G7 (I – bVI7 – I – ii7 – I – VI7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Cm – F7 – Bb.

What key is I'm Beginning To See The Light in?

Bb major, at about 92 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in I'm Beginning To See The Light?

Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is I'm Beginning To See The Light easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of I'm Beginning To See The Light?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.