Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

How to play When The Book Of Life Is Read on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn When The Book Of Life Is Read in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: C7 – F – Bb – F
How it goes
When The Book Of Life Is Read sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7V7FIBbIVFI
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
106 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Tumble down
How it goes
Three notes falling down the chord, one per beat, then a rest. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-1 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 635 songs of the library.
Tumble downBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
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.
Steady chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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 – C7 – F
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FC7F

What chords are in When The Book Of Life Is Read?

The loop is C7 – F – Bb – F (V7 – I – IV – I) in F major, and the song ends on F – C7 – F.

What key is When The Book Of Life Is Read in?

F major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in When The Book Of Life Is Read?

Tumble down: broken chord 8-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is When The Book Of Life Is Read 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.