Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play This Is The New Year on piano
Written by Ian Axel & Chad Vaccarino
- C major
- 4/4
- 155 BPM
- 2011
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn This Is The New Year in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Csus4 – C – F
How it goes
This Is The New Year sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Csus4 is C, F and G; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CICsus4Isus4CIFIV- CC · E · G
- Csus4C · F · G
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
How it goes
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
How it goes
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 155 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: C – Csus4 – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – Isus – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CCsus4C
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Questions about This Is The New Year
What chords are in This Is The New Year?
The loop is C – Csus4 – C – F (I – Isus – I5 – IV) in C major, and the song ends on C – Csus4 – C.
What key is This Is The New Year in?
C major, at about 155 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in This Is The New Year?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is This Is The New Year easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.