Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Mama Said on piano
Written by Lukas Forchhammer, Stefan Forrest & others
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 84 BPM
- 1977
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Mama Said in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Bb – Dm – Gm
How it goes
Mama Said sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Dm is D, F and A; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIVBbIDmiiiGmvi- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- DmD · F · A
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Tick-tick-boom pulse
How it goes
Two quick low notes and a high one, twice: ta-ta-DUM, ta-ta-DUM. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths 1-2, 3-4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 479 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 84 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- FF · A · C
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Questions about Mama Said
What chords are in Mama Said?
The loop is Eb – Bb – Dm – Gm (IV – I – iii – vi) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Mama Said in?
Bb major, at about 84 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Mama Said?
Tick-tick-boom pulse: root bass · 8ths 1-2, 3-4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Mama Said 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.