Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Strangers Like Me on piano
Artist unknown
- Db major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1999
- Easy
Learn Strangers Like Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Ebm – Db – Ab – Db – Ab – Gb – Ab – Db
Strangers Like Me sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 9 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Ebm is Eb, Gb and Bb; Db is Db, F and Ab; Gb is Gb, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbVEbmiiDbIAbVDbIAbVGbIVAbVDbI- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbmEb · Gb · Bb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- GbGb · Bb · Db
- 2
Left hand: Island pulse
Three, three, two: the island rhythm in so many pop hits. Musicians call it root bass · tresillo 3-3-2 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Swing push
Three chords tumble out early with a swing, then the bar breathes. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 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: Gb – Ab – Db
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbDb
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Questions about Strangers Like Me
What chords are in Strangers Like Me?
The loop is Ab – Ebm – Db – Ab – Db – Ab – Gb – Ab – Db (V – ii – I – V – I – V – IV – V – I) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.
What key is Strangers Like Me in?
Db major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Strangers Like Me?
Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Strangers Like Me easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 9 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Strangers Like Me?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.