Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play It Gets Better on piano
Written by Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost & others
- C major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- I–IV–V–I loop
- 2012
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn It Gets Better in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – G – C
How it goes
It Gets Better sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVGVCI- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Woodblock taps
How it goes
Starting off the beat, the top note taps away, then drops at the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
Play next
Questions about It Gets Better
What chords are in It Gets Better?
The loop is C – F – G – C (I – IV – V – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is It Gets Better in?
C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in It Gets Better?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is It Gets Better 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.