Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play With a Little Help from My Friends on piano
By Joe Cocker
- A major
- 6/8
- 75 BPM
- I–bVII–IV–I loop
- 1967
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn With a Little Help from My Friends in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – G – D – A
How it goes
With a Little Help from My Friends sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIGbVIIDIVAI- AA · C# · E
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Rowing-boat pulse
How it goes
Six even low notes per bar, rolling along like oars on water. Musicians call it root bass · 6/8 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 240 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
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 75 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: G – D – A
How it goes
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GDA
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Questions about With a Little Help from My Friends
What chords are in With a Little Help from My Friends?
The loop is A – G – D – A (I – bVII – IV – I) in A major, and the song ends on G – D – A.
What key is With a Little Help from My Friends in?
A major, at about 75 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in With a Little Help from My Friends?
Rowing-boat pulse: root bass · 6/8 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is With a Little Help from My Friends 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.