Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play What I Am on piano
Written by Brandon Aly, Edie Brickell & others
- B minor
- 4/4
- 144 BPM
- 1988
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn What I Am in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bsus4 – Dsus4 – Asus4 – Bsus4
How it goes
What I Am sits in B minor: B is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bsus4 is B, E and F#; Dsus4 is D, G and A; Asus4 is A, D and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bsus4Isus4Dsus4IIIsus4Asus4VIIsus4Bsus4Isus4- Bsus4B · E · F#
- Dsus4D · G · A
- Asus4A · D · E
- 2
Left hand: Pony-trot pulse
How it goes
Quick trotting notes, then a jump over beat 3 to its “and”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 114 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
How it goes
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 144 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: G – A – Bm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GABm- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
- BmB · D · F#
Play next
Questions about What I Am
What chords are in What I Am?
The loop is Bsus4 – Dsus4 – Asus4 – Bsus4 (Isus – bIIIsus – bVIIsus – Isus) in B minor, and the song ends on G – A – Bm.
What key is What I Am in?
B minor, at about 144 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in What I Am?
Pony-trot pulse: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is What I Am easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.