Other arrangements of What It Takes
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(G)There goes my old girl friend, there’s an oth er dia mond ring.
And, uh, (Em)all those late night prom (D)is es (C)I guess they don’t mean a thing.
So (G)ba by, what’s the sto ry?
Did you find an oth er man?
Is it (Em)eas y to sleep in the bed that we made?
When you (C)don’t look back, I guess the feel ings start to fade a way.
I (G)used to feel your fire, but now it’s (Em)cold in side.
And you’re (C)back on the street like you did n’t miss a beat, yeah.
Tell me what it takes to let you (F)go.
Tell me how the pain’s sup posed to (F)go.
Tell me how it (A)is that you can (Dm)sleep in the (Dm)night with out (B)think ing you lost ev ’ry thing that was good in your life to the toss of the dice?
Tell me what it (Db)takes to let you go.
Yeah.
(G)Girl, be fore I met you I was F I N E, fine.
But your (Em)love made me a pris (D)on er, (C)yeah, my heart’s been do ing time.
You (G)spent me up like mon ey, then you hung me out to dry.
It was (Em)eas y to keep all your lies in dis guise, ’cause you (C)had me in deep with the dev il in your eyes.
Tell me what it takes to let you (F)go.
Tell me how the pain’s sup posed to (F)go.
Tell me how it (A)is that you can (Dm)sleep in the (Dm)night with out (Bdim7)think ing you lost ev ’ry thing that was good in your life to the toss of the dice?
Tell me what it (Db)takes to let you go.
Gui tar!
Tell me that you’re hap py that you’re on your (G)own.
Yeah yeah.
(Bb)Yeah, tell me that it’s bet ter when you’re all a (F)lone.
Tell me that your bod y does n’t (Eb)miss my (Db)touch.
Tell me that my lov in’ did n’t mean that (Ab)much.
Tell me you ain’t dy in’ when you’re cry in’ for (C)me.
Tell me what it takes to let you (F)go.
Tell me how the pain’s sup posed to (F)go.
Uh, tell me how it (A)is that you can (Dm)sleep in the (Dm)night with out (B)think in’ you lost ev ’ry thing that was good in your life to the toss of the dice?
Tell me who’s to (Db)blame for think in’ twice,
no no no no, ’cause I don’t wan na (Db)burn in par a dise.
Oo.
Let go.
Let go.
Let go.
(F)I don’t wan na burn in par a dise.
Let it (Dm)go, let it go, let it go, let it go, let it (Bb)go, let it go, let it go, let it go, let it (F)go, let it go, let it go, let it go, let it (Dm)go, let it go, let it go, let it go, let it (Bb)go, let it go, let it go, let it go, let it (F)go, let it go, let it go, let it go, let it
What It Takes — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
19 people have learned this song
Free karaoke for "What It Takes" by Aerosmith: lyrics on screen with the chords above each line and a bouncing ball that lands on every word in time. Sing along, or play along on guitar or piano from the chord chart. Change the key to fit your voice, slow the tempo down. Key of G, 76 BPM.
This arrangement is a fantastic workout for navigating chromatic chord movement — with 17 chords including Aaug, Bdim7, and shifts through Db, Ab, and Eb, your hands need to stay relaxed and ready to travel.
At 76 BPM you have breathing room, but don't let that fool you; the walking bass in your left hand demands smooth, even finger transitions while your right hand voices some unusual shapes like that Bb7 and Bdim7.
Start hands-separate and really drill the left hand's bass line until it feels automatic — once you add the right hand, you won't have mental bandwidth to think about both.
Watch the transition from Bm7 to Bb and the chromatic descents especially; those are where most students stumble, so loop those two-bar passages slowly before speeding up.
Pedal lightly through the ballad sections but lift cleanly on each bass step so the walking line doesn't blur.
This is the piece that'll build your confidence moving through chromatic key centers — a skill that unlocks so much of real-world pop-rock playing.
Try other practice modes:
About “What It Takes”
- What key is "What It Takes" by Aerosmith played in?
- What It Takes is arranged in the key of G on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "What It Takes"?
- The arrangement plays at 76 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "What It Takes" 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 "What It Takes"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "What It Takes"?
- "What It Takes" was originally performed by Aerosmith. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "What It Takes"?
- This arrangement uses 17 chords: Aaug, Ab, Bb, Bb7, Bdim7, Bm7, C, D, +9 more.
- What other songs by Aerosmith can I play here?
- Try "DREAM ON", "DREAM ON", "LOVE IN AN ELEVATOR". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is there a karaoke version of "What It Takes" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "What It Takes" by Aerosmith. The lyrics appear on screen a line at a time and each word lights up exactly when it's sung, with a bouncing ball leading you word to word. A backing plays underneath so you can just sing.
- Does it show chords so I can play along on guitar or piano?
- It does — a chord symbol sits on a thin row just above the lyric it changes on, so the same screen doubles as a lyrics-and-chords chart. Guitarists can strum the changes and pianists can comp while singing; the chords are colour-coded and move with the live transpose if you change key.
- Can I change the key of "What It Takes" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in G, but the live transpose control shifts the whole song up or down semitones until the melody sits in your range (or maps to an easier guitar shape / capo position) — the on-screen chords and the backing move with it.
- Can I slow "What It Takes" down to learn the words and chords?
- Yes — the tempo control lets you take it as slow as you need while the lyrics still light up in time and the ball keeps you on the beat. Speed it back up once you can sing and play it through.