Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play What Do You Mean? on piano
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 125 BPM
- Easy
Learn What Do You Mean? in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dbsus4 – Ab – Fm – Eb
What Do You Mean? sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dbsus4 is Db, Gb and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Dbsus4IVsus4AbIFmviEbV- Dbsus4Db · Gb · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- FmF · Ab · C
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Banana-peel slip
Four steady beats on one note, then a quick slip down into the next bar. Musicians call it broken chord 8-8-8-8-7 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 102 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
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 125 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- DbDb · F · Ab
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Questions about What Do You Mean?
What chords are in What Do You Mean??
The loop is Dbsus4 – Ab – Fm – Eb (IVsus – I5 – vi – V) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is What Do You Mean? in?
Ab major, at about 125 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in What Do You Mean??
Banana-peel slip: broken chord 8-8-8-8-7, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is What Do You Mean? 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.