Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Say It Ain’t So on piano
Written by Rivers Cuomo
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 85 BPM
- 1994
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Say It Ain’t So in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – G – Ab – Eb
How it goes
Say It Ain’t So sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; G is G, B and D; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmviGIIIAbIVEbI- CmC · Eb · G
- GG · B · D
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Wobbly heartbeat
How it goes
Two off-balance notes on the “ands”, then a firm landing on beat 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 267 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
How it goes
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 85 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- BbBb · D · F
Play next
Questions about Say It Ain’t So
What chords are in Say It Ain’t So?
The loop is Cm – G – Ab – Eb (vi – III – IV – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Say It Ain’t So in?
Eb major, at about 85 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Say It Ain’t So?
Wobbly heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Say It Ain’t So 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.