Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play You’ve Got A Friend In Me on piano
By Randy Newman
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn You’ve Got A Friend In Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – G7 – Cm – Cb7 – Eb – Ebdim – Bb7 – Eb – D
How it goes
You’ve Got A Friend In Me sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 9 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; G7 is G, B, D and F; Cm is C, Eb and G; Cb7 is Cb, Eb, Gb and Bbb; Ebdim is Eb, Gb and Bbb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIG7III7CmviCb7bVI7EbIEbdimi°Bb7V7EbIDVII- EbEb · G · Bb
- G7G · B · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
- Cb7Cb · Eb · Gb · Bbb
- EbdimEb · Gb · Bbb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Stride jumps
How it goes
Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Shy chords
How it goes
Waits out beat 1, then a chord on 2 and a little double on 3. 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
Play next
Questions about You’ve Got A Friend In Me
What chords are in You’ve Got A Friend In Me?
The loop is Eb – G7 – Cm – Cb7 – Eb – Ebdim – Bb7 – Eb – D (I – III7 – vi – bVI7 – I – i° – V7 – I – VII) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is You’ve Got A Friend In Me in?
Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in You’ve Got A Friend In Me?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is You’ve Got A Friend In Me easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 9 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of You’ve Got A Friend In Me?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 5 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.