Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play What Say You on piano
By Travis Tritt with John Cougar Mellencamp
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 2004
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn What Say You in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Ab – Eb – Ab
How it goes
What Say You sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIAbIVEbIAbIV- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Late-hop footsteps
How it goes
Steady low-high steps with one quick extra hop after beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 659 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hide-and-seek chords
How it goes
Hides on beat 1, pops up on 2, sneaks in before beat 4, then lands on it. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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: Eb – Ab – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbAbEb
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Questions about What Say You
What chords are in What Say You?
The loop is Eb – Ab – Eb – Ab (I – IV – I – IV) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Ab – Eb.
What key is What Say You in?
Eb major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in What Say You?
Late-hop footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is What Say You 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.