Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play I'm Wishing on piano
By Larry Morey
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1937
- Easy
Learn I'm Wishing in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – Bb – Am – Gm
I'm Wishing sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; Bb is Bb, D and F; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiiiBbIVAmiiiGmii- AmA · C · E
- BbBb · D · F
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Oom-pah
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: Wait-a-beat chords
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Gm – C7 – F
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GmC7F- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
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Questions about I'm Wishing
What chords are in I'm Wishing?
The loop is Am – Bb – Am – Gm (iii – IV – iii – ii) in F major, and the song ends on Gm – C7 – F.
What key is I'm Wishing in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I'm Wishing?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I'm Wishing 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.