Wish You Were Here Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Wish You Were Here in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: F – F – Fm – Fm
Wish You Were Here sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIFIFmiFmi
- FF · A · C
- FmF · Ab · C
12 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Lazy footstepsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Offbeat skankOffbeat chords · Blues and boogie-woogieRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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: F – C7 – F
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FC7F
- C7C · E · G · Bb

What chords are in Wish You Were Here?

The loop is F – F – Fm – Fm (I – i – I – i) in F major, and the song ends on F – C7 – F.

What key is Wish You Were Here in?

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

What does the left hand play in Wish You Were Here?

Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Wish You Were Here 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.

Can I hear the real melody of Wish You Were Here?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.