Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Whatever It Takes on piano
Written by Leona Lewis, Alonzo Stevenson & others
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 95 BPM
- 2007
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Whatever It Takes in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Cm – Eb – Bb
How it goes
Whatever It Takes sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Cm is C, Eb and G; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIVCmviEbIBbV- AbAb · C · Eb
- CmC · Eb · G
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Eager heartbeat
How it goes
Jumps in early on the “and” before beat 3, like it can’t wait. Musicians call it root bass · pop push 1 · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 403 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 95 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb
Play next
Questions about Whatever It Takes
What chords are in Whatever It Takes?
The loop is Ab – Cm – Eb – Bb (IV – vi – I – V) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Whatever It Takes in?
Eb major, at about 95 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Whatever It Takes?
Eager heartbeat: root bass · pop push 1 · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Whatever It Takes 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.