Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play It Happens on piano
By Sugarland
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- vi–IV–I–V loop
- 2008
- Easy
Learn It Happens in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Ab – Eb – Bb
It Happens sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmviAbIVEbIBbV- CmC · Eb · G
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: Eb – Db – Eb
The last chords are I – bVII – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbDbEb- DbDb · F · Ab
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Questions about It Happens
What chords are in It Happens?
The loop is Cm – Ab – Eb – Bb (vi – IV – I – V) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Db – Eb.
What key is It Happens in?
Eb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in It Happens?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is It Happens 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.