Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play What Is This Thing Called Love? on piano
By Dave Brubeck
- C major
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn What Is This Thing Called Love? in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – Fm – Ab7 – G7
How it goes
What Is This Thing Called Love? sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7I7FmivAb7bVI7G7V7- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Gentle rocking
How it goes
Root, fifth, octave, fifth: the gentle rocking under countless pop ballads. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 696 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Gospel-clap chords
How it goes
Skips beat 1, then soulful chords that bounce off the “ands”. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 92 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
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Questions about What Is This Thing Called Love?
What chords are in What Is This Thing Called Love??
The loop is C7 – Fm – Ab7 – G7 (I7 – iv – bVI7 – V7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is What Is This Thing Called Love? in?
C major, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in What Is This Thing Called Love??
Gentle rocking: broken chord 1-5-8-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is What Is This Thing Called Love? 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.