Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play When It's All Over on piano
By Alicia Keys
- C minor
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 2012
- Easy
Learn When It's All Over in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Bb – Gm – Ab
When It's All Over sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbVIBbVIIGmvAbVI- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Funky-chicken chords
Chords dodge almost every beat in tricky quick spots: pure funk. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 BPM
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 – Cm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm- CmC · Eb · G
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Questions about When It's All Over
What chords are in When It's All Over?
The loop is Ab – Bb – Gm – Ab (bVI – bVII – v – bVI) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is When It's All Over in?
C minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in When It's All Over?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is When It's All Over 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.