Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Please Don’t Ask Me on piano
By John Farnham
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- I–IV–iv–I loop
- 1980
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Please Don’t Ask Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Eb – Ebm – Bb
How it goes
Please Don’t Ask Me sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ebm is Eb, Gb and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIEbIVEbmivBbI- BbBb · D · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
- EbmEb · Gb · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Shimmering waves
How it goes
A low root, then two notes rocking fast like light on water. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 58 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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 – Ebm – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – iv – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbEbmBb
Play next
Questions about Please Don’t Ask Me
What chords are in Please Don’t Ask Me?
The loop is Bb – Eb – Ebm – Bb (I – IV – iv – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – Ebm – Bb.
What key is Please Don’t Ask Me in?
Bb major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Please Don’t Ask Me?
Shimmering waves: open arpeggio 1-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Please Don’t Ask Me 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.