Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Mother Knows Best on piano
Written by Alan Menken
- F major
- 4/4
- 74 BPM
- 2010
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Mother Knows Best in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F7 – Bb – Bbm – Am
How it goes
Mother Knows Best sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F7I7BbIVBbmivAmiii- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- BbmBb · Db · F
- AmA · C · E
- 2
Left hand: Ping-pong bounce
How it goes
High, low, high, low on every beat: a ping-pong bounce. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 302 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
How it goes
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 74 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- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Mother Knows Best
What chords are in Mother Knows Best?
The loop is F7 – Bb – Bbm – Am (I7 – IV – iv – iii) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Mother Knows Best in?
F major, at about 74 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Mother Knows Best?
Ping-pong bounce: broken chord 8-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Mother Knows Best 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.