Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play You Were Meant For Me on piano
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1929
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn You Were Meant For Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – C7 – F – F
How it goes
You Were Meant For Me sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7V7C7V7FIFI- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Oom-pah
How it goes
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: F – Gm – F
How it goes
The last chords are I – ii – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGmF- GmG · Bb · D
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Questions about You Were Meant For Me
What chords are in You Were Meant For Me?
The loop is C7 – C7 – F – F (V7 – I – V7 – I) in F major, and the song ends on F – Gm – F.
What key is You Were Meant For Me in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in You Were Meant For Me?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is You Were Meant For Me 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 You Were Meant For Me?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.