Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Wish You Were Here on piano
Written by Roger Waters & David Gilmour
- G major
- 4/4
- 125 BPM
- 1975
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
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: Em – Em – Em – G
How it goes
Wish You Were Here sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmviEmviEmviGI- EmE · G · B
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleep-in chords
How it goes
Quiet for half the bar, then three chords wake up near the end. 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 – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
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Questions about Wish You Were Here
What chords are in Wish You Were Here?
The loop is Em – Em – Em – G (vi – I – vi – I) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Wish You Were Here in?
G major, at about 125 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Wish You Were Here?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 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 main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.