Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play When Love Was Born on piano
Written by Stephanie Lewis, Bernie Herms & others
- G major
- 4/4
- 69 BPM
- I–ii–I–IV loop
- 2009
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn When Love Was Born in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – Am – G – C
How it goes
When Love Was Born sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIAmiiGICIV- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Rising tide
How it goes
Five notes roll up wide and high, then hold: a tide coming in. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 187 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
How it goes
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about When Love Was Born
What chords are in When Love Was Born?
The loop is G – Am – G – C (I – ii – I – IV) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is When Love Was Born in?
G major, at about 69 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in When Love Was Born?
Rising tide: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is When Love Was Born 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.