Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play It’s My Life on piano
Written by Mark David Hollis & Tim Friese-Greene
- F major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- i–iv–bVII–bIII loop
- 1984
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn It’s My Life in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Bbm – Eb – Ab
How it goes
It’s My Life sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmiBbmivEbbVIIAbbIII- FmF · Ab · C
- BbmBb · Db · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
How it goes
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Late-knock chords
How it goes
One chord, a long wait, then a quick knock-knock at the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
Play next
Questions about It’s My Life
What chords are in It’s My Life?
The loop is Fm – Bbm – Eb – Ab (i – iv – bVII – bIII) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is It’s My Life in?
F major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in It’s My Life?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is It’s My Life 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.