Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play When I’m Gone on piano
Written by Sandy Emory Lawrence
- E major
- 4/4
- 69 BPM
- I–V7–I–V7 loop
- 2012
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn When I’m Gone in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – B7 – E – B7
How it goes
When I’m Gone sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; B7 is B, D#, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIB7V7EIB7V7- EE · G# · B
- B7B · D# · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Dreamy wave
How it goes
Rolls up through a soft extra note: a dreamy, open, modern sound. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-9-10 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 129 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 69 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: A – B – E
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE- AA · C# · E
- BB · D# · F#
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Questions about When I’m Gone
What chords are in When I’m Gone?
The loop is E – B7 – E – B7 (I – V7 – I – V7) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is When I’m Gone in?
E major, at about 69 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in When I’m Gone?
Dreamy wave: open arpeggio 1-5-9-10, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is When I’m Gone 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.