Other arrangements of If I Knew
Pick a learning view.
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 — Classic Piano Sheet Music
23 people have learned this song
Read "If I Knew" by Bruno Mars in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of Ab. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 87 BPM.
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.
Try other practice modes:
About “If I Knew”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "If I Knew"?
- Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature Ab. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "If I Knew" by Bruno Mars played in?
- If I Knew is arranged in the key of Ab on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "If I Knew"?
- The arrangement plays at 87 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "If I Knew" easy to play on piano?
- This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
- Can I download sheet music for "If I Knew"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "If I Knew"?
- "If I Knew" was originally performed by Bruno Mars. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "If I Knew"?
- This arrangement uses 13 chords: Ab, Abm, Bb, Cm, Cm7, Eb, Eb7, F, +5 more.
- 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 in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "If I Knew" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature Ab, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
- What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
- Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
- Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
- Yes — slow the tempo from 87 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
- Why can I click a note in the score?
- Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
- Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
- Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.