Somebody’s Got Your Back Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Somebody’s Got Your Back in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: G7 – C – C#dim – Dm
Somebody’s Got Your Back sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G; C#dim is C#, E and G; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G7V7CIC#dimbii°Dmii
- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- C#dimC# · E · G
- DmD · F · A
17 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Stride jumps
Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 songs of the library.
Stride jumpsStride & boom-chick · StrideLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Push chords
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Push chordsSyncopated chords · RockRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 85 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D

What chords are in Somebody’s Got Your Back?

The loop is G7 – C – C#dim – Dm (V7 – I – biio – ii) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Somebody’s Got Your Back in?

C major, at about 85 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Somebody’s Got Your Back?

Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Somebody’s Got Your Back 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.