Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play An Occasional Man on piano
Written by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1955
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn An Occasional Man in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – Fm – Gm – F
How it goes
An Occasional Man sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Gm is G, Bb and D; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7V7FmiGmiiFI- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- GmG · Bb · D
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Running-late chords
How it goes
Misses beat 1, then hurries in with busy chords around the beats. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
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Questions about An Occasional Man
What chords are in An Occasional Man?
The loop is C7 – Fm – Gm – F (V7 – i – ii – I) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is An Occasional Man in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in An Occasional Man?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is An Occasional Man 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.