Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Where I Come From on piano
Written by Michael Angelakos
- E major
- 4/4
- 105 BPM
- 2012
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Where I Come From in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C#m – B – A – F#m
How it goes
Where I Come From sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C#m is C#, E and G#; B is B, D# and F#; A is A, C# and E; F#m is F#, A and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C#mviBVAIVF#mii- C#mC# · E · G#
- BB · D# · F#
- AA · C# · E
- F#mF# · A · C#
- 2
Left hand: Double island pulse
How it goes
The island rhythm squeezed in twice per bar: quick and dancy. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3 · 3a · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 122 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Double island chords
How it goes
The island rhythm squeezed in twice per bar: quick and dancy. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 105 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- EE · G# · B
Play next
Questions about Where I Come From
What chords are in Where I Come From?
The loop is C#m – B – A – F#m (vi – V – IV – ii) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Where I Come From in?
E major, at about 105 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Where I Come From?
Double island pulse: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3 · 3a · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Where I Come From 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.