Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play What Is Truth? on piano
By Johnny Cash
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1970
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn What Is Truth? in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G7 – C7 – F – Bb
How it goes
What Is Truth? sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G7II7C7V7FIBbIV- G7G · B · D · F
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Island zigzag
How it goes
A jump up, then down past the start, in the three-three-two rhythm. Musicians call it broken chord 8-12-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 302 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
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 100 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: Gm – C7 – F
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GmC7F- GmG · Bb · D
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Questions about What Is Truth?
What chords are in What Is Truth??
The loop is G7 – C7 – F – Bb (II7 – V7 – I – IV) in F major, and the song ends on Gm – C7 – F.
What key is What Is Truth? in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in What Is Truth??
Island zigzag: broken chord 8-12-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is What Is Truth? 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.