Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play When I Reach The Place I’m Going on piano
Written by Emory Gordy Jr. & Joe Henry
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- IV–I–IV–I loop
- 1991
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn When I Reach The Place I’m Going in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – C – F – C
How it goes
When I Reach The Place I’m Going sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIVCIFIVCI- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Firefly blink
How it goes
The top note and the one below blink back and forth like a firefly. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 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: 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- GG · B · D
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Questions about When I Reach The Place I’m Going
What chords are in When I Reach The Place I’m Going?
The loop is F – C – F – C (IV – I – IV – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is When I Reach The Place I’m Going in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in When I Reach The Place I’m Going?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is When I Reach The Place I’m Going 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.