Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Somebody’s Watching Me on piano
Written by Rockwell
- C minor
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- i–bVI–bVII–i loop
- 1983
- Medium
Learn Somebody’s Watching Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Ab – Bb – Cm
Somebody’s Watching Me sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiAbVIBbVIICmi- CmC · Eb · G
- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Racing heartbeat
One calm beat, then non-stop quick notes racing to the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 431 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Ab – Bb – Cm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm
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Questions about Somebody’s Watching Me
What chords are in Somebody’s Watching Me?
The loop is Cm – Ab – Bb – Cm (i – bVI – bVII – i) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is Somebody’s Watching Me in?
C minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Somebody’s Watching Me?
Racing heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Somebody’s Watching 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.