Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play This Time I Know It's For Real on piano
By Donna Summer
- E major
- 4/4
- 110 BPM
- 1989
- Easy
Learn This Time I Know It's For Real in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – D – G – D
This Time I Know It's For Real sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; D is D, F# and A; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CbVIDbVIIGbIIIDbVII- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Seesaw bass
Low, higher, low, higher on every beat: a steady seesaw. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-1-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 481 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 110 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: A – B – E
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE- AA · C# · E
- BB · D# · F#
- EE · G# · B
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Questions about This Time I Know It's For Real
What chords are in This Time I Know It's For Real?
The loop is C – D – G – D (bVI – bVII – bIII – bVII) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is This Time I Know It's For Real in?
E major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in This Time I Know It's For Real?
Seesaw bass: root–fifth 1-5-1-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is This Time I Know It's For Real 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.