Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Only Mama Knows on piano
- E minor
- 4/4
- 66 BPM
- 2007
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Only Mama Knows in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – Cdim – C#m – Cdim
How it goes
Only Mama Knows sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; Cdim is C, Eb and Gb; C#m is C#, E and G#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiCdimvi°C#mviCdimvi°- EmE · G · B
- CdimC · Eb · Gb
- C#mC# · E · G#
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleep-in chords
How it goes
Quiet for half the bar, then three chords wake up near the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 66 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: C – D – Em
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about Only Mama Knows
What chords are in Only Mama Knows?
The loop is Em – Cdim – C#m – Cdim (i – bvio – vi – bvio) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Only Mama Knows in?
E minor, at about 66 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Only Mama Knows?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Only Mama Knows 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.