Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play All Alone on piano
Written by Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost & others
- D major
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- ii–V–I–IV loop
- 2012
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn All Alone in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – A – D – G
How it goes
All Alone sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiiAVDIGIV- EmE · G · B
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Tick-tick-boom pulse
How it goes
Two quick low notes and a high one, twice: ta-ta-DUM, ta-ta-DUM. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths 1-2, 3-4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 479 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 92 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: Em – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EmAD
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Questions about All Alone
What chords are in All Alone?
The loop is Em – A – D – G (ii – V – I – IV) in D major, and the song ends on Em – A – D.
What key is All Alone in?
D major, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in All Alone?
Tick-tick-boom pulse: root bass · 8ths 1-2, 3-4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is All Alone easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.