Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

How to play Maybe on piano

By Charles Strouse

  • Bb major
  • 2/2
  • 100 BPM
  • 1977
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
Learn it
Style

Left hand Tumble downThe right hand sings the tuneChords from the chord symbols in the score

Learn Maybe in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

  1. 1

    Chords: Ebmaj7 – Eb – Bb – Bbmaj7 – Ebmaj7 – Eb – Bb – D7 – Gm7

    Maybe sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 9 chords: Ebmaj7 is Eb, G, Bb and D; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Bbmaj7 is Bb, D, F and A; D7 is D, F#, A and C; Gm7 is G, Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    Ebmaj7IVmaj7EbIVBbIBbmaj7Imaj7Ebmaj7IVmaj7EbIVBbID7III7Gm7vi7
    • Ebmaj7Eb · G · Bb · D
    • EbEb · G · Bb
    • BbBb · D · F
    • Bbmaj7Bb · D · F · A
    • D7D · F# · A · C
    • Gm7G · Bb · D · F
    782 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Tumble down

    Three notes falling down the chord, one per beat, then a rest. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-1 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 635 songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: the chords, held

    In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 100 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. 5

    Ending: Bb – Eb – Bb

    The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    BbEbBb

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Questions about Maybe

What chords are in Maybe?

The loop is Ebmaj7 – Eb – Bb – Bbmaj7 – Ebmaj7 – Eb – Bb – D7 – Gm7 (IVmaj7 – IV – I – Imaj7 – IVmaj7 – IV – I – III7 – vi7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – Eb – Bb.

What key is Maybe in?

Bb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Maybe?

Tumble down: broken chord 8-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Maybe easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 9 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Maybe?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.