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 — Classic Piano Sheet Music
9 people have learned this song
Read "What It Takes" by Aerosmith in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of G. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 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”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "What It Takes"?
- 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 G. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- 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 this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "What It Takes" 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 G, 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 76 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.
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