Oh, oh, oh, (Eb)I,
I was a (Bb)cit y boy;
to ride in to (Ab)dan gers where I’d al ways run, a (Abm)boy who had his fun.
I would n’t have (Eb)done
(Cm7)all the things that (Fm7)I have done
if I (Bb)knew one (Eb)day you’d come.
(Ab)No, ba by (Abm)(no, ba by), (Eb)no, ba by (no, ba by).
(Bb)Oh, oh, oh, (Eb)I,
I know it (Bb)breaks your heart
to pic ture the (Ab)on ly one you want and love in (Abm)some one else ’s arms.
I would n’t have (Eb)done
(Cm7)all the things that (Fm7)I have done
if I (Bb)knew one (Eb)day you’d come.
(Ab)No, ba by (Abm)(no, ba by), (Eb)no, ba by (no, ba by).
(Bb)Oh, oh, oh,
(F)Oh, ba (F#)by, (G)please,
let’s leave the past be (Cm)hind us, be hind us, (F)so (F#)that (G)we
can go where love will (Cm)find us, yeah, will find us.
(G)I (Gb)know (F)mon sters will leave me, but (Gm)I (Ab)know that you’ll be (Bb)lieve me.
Ba by, (Eb)I,
I wish we were (Bb)sev en teen
so I could (Ab)give you all the in no cence
that you give to me.
Oh, I would n’t have (Eb)done
all the things (Fm7)that I’ve done
if I (Bb)knew
one (Eb)day you’d come,
if I knew one day (Eb)you’d come.
If I Knew by Bruno Mars
5 people have learned this song
Easy piano arrangement in the key of Ab at 87 BPM. Difficulty: medium. Color-coded notes — no sheet-reading skill required.
This arrangement is a wonderful workout for smooth chord transitions in A♭ major, and at 87 BPM you have just enough breathing room to nail each change — but not enough to fake your way through sloppy hand shifts.
Your left hand follows an octave bass pattern, so lock that in first: practice it alone until the jumps between A♭, E♭, and the chromatic moves toward F♯ and G♭ feel automatic.
The real challenge lives in your right hand navigating thirteen chords, especially the shifts between C minor and its C minor 7 voicing and the momentary detour into A♭ minor — those color changes demand precise finger placement without hesitation.
I'd suggest looping the trickiest four-bar sections at around 60 BPM, hands separate, then gradually bring them together before pushing toward full tempo.
Watch your pedal work carefully; in a ballad this exposed, holding the sustain pedal through chord changes will blur everything into mud, so practice clean pedal swaps on every chord root change.
Once this clicks, you'll have real confidence handling chromatic bass movement and extended chord shapes in any pop ballad you tackle next.
About “If I Knew”
- What key is "If I Knew" in?
- "If I Knew" by Bruno Mars is in the key of Ab with a tempo of 87 BPM. Difficulty: medium.
- Is "If I Knew" easy to play on piano?
- This arrangement is rated medium. It requires comfort with chord shapes and basic hand independence. Expect 1-2 weeks of regular practice for a confident performance.
- Can I play "If I Knew" without reading sheet music?
- Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.
- What chords are used in "If I Knew"?
- This arrangement of "If I Knew" uses 13 chords: Ab, Abm, Bb, Cm, Cm7, Eb, Eb7, F, +5 more.
- How long does it take to learn "If I Knew" on piano?
- 2–4 weeks of consistent practice (20–30 min/day) for an intermediate player. Drill the tricky passages in isolation first.
- What other songs by Bruno Mars can I play here?
- Try "VERSACE ON THE FLOOR", "JUST THE WAY YOU ARE", "THAT'S WHAT I LIKE". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
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