Both Sides Now Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Both Sides Now in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: A – D – A – D – A – D – A – D
Both Sides Now sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIDIVAIDIVAIDIVAIDIV
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
384 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Bossa sway
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Bossa swayRoot bass rhythm · Bossa novaLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Falling stars
Three high notes fall over and over, like stars dropping from the sky. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Falling starsFalling arpeggio · Film scoreRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 100 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: A – D – A
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ADA

What chords are in Both Sides Now?

The loop is A – D – A – D – A – D – A – D (I – IV – I – IV – I – IV – I – IV) in A major, and the song ends on A – D – A.

What key is Both Sides Now in?

A major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Both Sides Now?

Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Both Sides Now easy to play on piano?

It is a medium one: learn the 8 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.

Can I hear the real melody of Both Sides Now?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.