Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play When Will My Life Begin on piano
By Alan Menken
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 112 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 2010
- Medium
Learn When Will My Life Begin in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Ab – Eb – Ab
When Will My Life Begin sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIAbIVEbIAbIV- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 112 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 – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about When Will My Life Begin
What chords are in When Will My Life Begin?
The loop is Eb – Ab – Eb – Ab (I – IV – I – IV) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is When Will My Life Begin in?
Eb major, at about 112 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in When Will My Life Begin?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is When Will My Life Begin 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.