Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Some People’s Lives on piano
Written by Rhonda Fleming & Janis Ian
- C major
- 3/4
- 88 BPM
- V–IV–V–IV loop
- 1986
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Some People’s Lives in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – F – G – F
How it goes
Some People’s Lives sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GVFIVGVFIV- GG · B · D
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Moon River roll
How it goes
A wide, flowing roll in three, the Moon River feel. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 441 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Waltz chords
How it goes
A chord on each of the three beats: a simple waltz. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 88 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 – Dm – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – ii – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDmC- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
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Questions about Some People’s Lives
What chords are in Some People’s Lives?
The loop is G – F – G – F (V – IV – V – IV) in C major, and the song ends on C – Dm – C.
What key is Some People’s Lives in?
C major, at about 88 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Some People’s Lives?
Moon River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-10 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Some People’s Lives 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.