Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You
Hello! Below you'll find my "I Will Always Love You" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
This song is a great example of Dolly Parton's songwriting. I kept the arrangement simple and beginner-friendly so the melody and lyrics can really shine. Whitney Houston's version is great too, though in the video I focus on Dolly's original. I do, however, show you how you would transpose the final chorus to get the effect of Whiney's version.
Enjoy!
I Will Always Love You Piano Tutorial
Here's a piano tutorial video for I Will Always Love You:
I Will Always Love You Chords & Lyrics
[Intro]
|- - - D| A - - D | A F#m | D E |2/4 E D/E |
|- - - D| A - - D | A F#m | D E |2/4 E D/E |
[Verse 1]
(D/E) A A
If I should stay
F#m A/E D E7
I would only be in your way
A A
So I'll go, but I know
F#m A/E D E7
I'll think of you each step of the way
[Chorus 1]
A F#m D E7 A F#m
And I —— will always love you I
D E7 A D | A |
Will always love you
A F#m D E7 A F#m
And I —— will always love you I
D E7 A D | A |
Will always love you
[Verse 2]
A A
Bitter-sweet memories
F#m A/E D E7
That's all I am taking with me
A A
Good-bye, please don't cry
F#m A/E D E7
We both know that I'm not what you need
[Chorus 2]
A F#m D E7 A F#m
But I —— will always love you I
D E7 A D | A |
Will always love you
A F#m D E7 A F#m
But I —— will always love you I
D E7 A D | A |
Will always love you
[Verse 3]
A A
I hope life treats you kind
F#m A/E D E7
And I hope that you have all that you ever dreamed of
A A
And I wish you joy and happiness
F#m A/E D E7
But above all of this I wish you love
[Chorus 3]
A F#m D E7 A F#m
And I —— will always love you I
D E7 A F#m
Will always love you
D E7 D E A
I will always love you
A F#m D E7 A F#m
And I —— will always love you I
D E7 A F#m
Will always love you
D E7 D E A
I will always love you
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
I Will Always Love You Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "I Will Always Love You" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.
3. Simplify if need be: "I Will Always Love You" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
