Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play What About Us on piano
Written by Alecia Moore, Steve Mac & others
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 116 BPM
- 2017
- Easy
Learn What About Us in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Fm – Db – Ab
What About Us sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIFmviDbIVAbI- AbAb · C · Eb
- FmF · Ab · C
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Cartwheel heartbeat
Five evenly spaced notes roll across the beats, then land on 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3e · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 89 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Cartwheel chords
Five evenly spaced chords roll across the beats, then land on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 116 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: Db – Eb – Ab
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about What About Us
What chords are in What About Us?
The loop is Ab – Fm – Db – Ab (I – vi – IV – I) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is What About Us in?
Ab major, at about 116 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in What About Us?
Cartwheel heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3e · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is What About Us 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.
Can I hear the real melody of What About Us?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.