Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Tell It Like It Is on piano
Written by George Davis & Lee Diamond
- F major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- 1966
- Tricky
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Tell It Like It Is in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – C7 – F – D7
How it goes
Tell It Like It Is sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmiiC7V7FID7VI7- GmG · Bb · D
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- D7D · F# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Island seesaw
How it goes
Low, high, low in the three-three-two island rhythm. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-1 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 723 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Trotting-sleigh chords
How it goes
Three quick chords on every beat: a rolling, joyful gallop. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: Gm – C7 – F
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GmC7F
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Questions about Tell It Like It Is
What chords are in Tell It Like It Is?
The loop is Gm – C7 – F – D7 (ii – V7 – I – VI7) in F major, and the song ends on Gm – C7 – F.
What key is Tell It Like It Is in?
F major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Tell It Like It Is?
Island seesaw: root–fifth 1-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Tell It Like It Is easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.