Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Never Knew I Needed on piano
By Ne-Yo
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 72 BPM
- I–V–vi–V loop
- 2009
- Medium
Learn Never Knew I Needed in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Eb – Fm – Eb
Never Knew I Needed sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIEbVFmviEbV- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Galloping heartbeat
Ta-DUM, ta-DUM: quick pickups into beats 2 and 4, like hooves. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 3 · 3a · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 115 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Candle flicker
Two low chord notes flicker back and forth, warm like candlelight. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 72 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: Db – Dbm – Ab
The last chords are IV – iv – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbDbmAb- DbDb · F · Ab
- DbmDb · Fb · Ab
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Questions about Never Knew I Needed
What chords are in Never Knew I Needed?
The loop is Ab – Eb – Fm – Eb (I – V – vi – V) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Dbm – Ab.
What key is Never Knew I Needed in?
Ab major, at about 72 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Never Knew I Needed?
Galloping heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 3 · 3a · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Never Knew I Needed 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.