Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play To Be Loved on piano
Written by Berry Gordy, Gwen Gordy Fuqua & others
- B major
- 6/8
- 95 BPM
- I–vi–ii–V loop
- 1957
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn To Be Loved in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: B – G#m – C#m – F#
How it goes
To Be Loved sits in B major: B is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: B is B, D# and F#; G#m is G#, B and D#; C#m is C#, E and G#; F# is F#, A# and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BIG#mviC#miiF#V- BB · D# · F#
- G#mG# · B · D#
- C#mC# · E · G#
- F#F# · A# · C#
- 2
Left hand: Cradle pulse
How it goes
A deep note, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 160 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Cradle chords
How it goes
A chord, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 95 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: C#m – F#7 – B
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
C#mF#7B- F#7F# · A# · C# · E
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Questions about To Be Loved
What chords are in To Be Loved?
The loop is B – G#m – C#m – F# (I – vi – ii – V) in B major, and the song ends on C#m – F#7 – B.
What key is To Be Loved in?
B major, at about 95 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in To Be Loved?
Cradle pulse: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is To Be Loved 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.