Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Always On Time on piano
By Jeffrey Atkins
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- 2001
- Easy
Learn Always On Time in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Fm – Gm – Cm
Always On Time sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Fm is F, Ab and C; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmviFmiiGmiiiCmvi- CmC · Eb · G
- FmF · Ab · C
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 90 BPM
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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
Questions about Always On Time
What chords are in Always On Time?
The loop is Cm – Fm – Gm – Cm (vi – ii – iii – vi) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Always On Time in?
Eb major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Always On Time?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Always On Time 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.