Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Who I Am on piano
Written by Adam Levine, Gamal Lewis & others
- C major
- 4/4
- 125 BPM
- IV–I–IV–I loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Who I Am in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – C – F – C
How it goes
Who I Am sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIVCIFIVCI- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Wobbly heartbeat
How it goes
Two off-balance notes on the “ands”, then a firm landing on beat 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 267 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 125 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 – F – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CFC
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Questions about Who I Am
What chords are in Who I Am?
The loop is F – C – F – C (IV – I – IV – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – F – C.
What key is Who I Am in?
C major, at about 125 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Who I Am?
Wobbly heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Who I Am 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.