Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play I’ve Been This Way Before on piano
Artist unknown
- A major
- 6/8
- 87 BPM
- I–IV–Vsus–V loop
- Medium
Learn I’ve Been This Way Before in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – D – Esus4 – E
I’ve Been This Way Before sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A; Esus4 is E, A and B; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIDIVEsus4Vsus4EV- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- Esus4E · A · B
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Rowing-boat pulse
Six even low notes per bar, rolling along like oars on water. Musicians call it root bass · 6/8 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 240 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hammock chords
Long-short, long-short: soft chords sway like a hammock. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 87 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: A – E – A
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AEA
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Questions about I’ve Been This Way Before
What chords are in I’ve Been This Way Before?
The loop is A – D – Esus4 – E (I – IV – Vsus – V) in A major, and the song ends on A – E – A.
What key is I’ve Been This Way Before in?
A major, at about 87 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in I’ve Been This Way Before?
Rowing-boat pulse: root bass · 6/8 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I’ve Been This Way Before 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.