Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play That’s What Friends Are For on piano
Written by Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman
- C major
- 2/2
- 136 BPM
- 1965
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn That’s What Friends Are For in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G7 – C – F – Ab7
How it goes
That’s What Friends Are For 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; F is F, A and C; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G7V7CIFIVAb7bVI7- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
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 136 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
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Questions about That’s What Friends Are For
What chords are in That’s What Friends Are For?
The loop is G7 – C – F – Ab7 (V7 – I – IV – bVI7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is That’s What Friends Are For in?
C major, at about 136 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in That’s What Friends Are For?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is That’s What Friends Are For 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.